A Changed Miko
by another cullen fan
Summary: Hiding in plain sight, Kagome lives an ordinary life as an unexciting miko. But trouble is brewing in Japan. Sesshomaru is desperate for the most powerful miko around and maybe more. He will have her no matter what. Together, they will face the greatest enemy Japan has ever seen. Will Kagome overcome her grief and will Sesshomaru find what he has always been looking for?
1. Life Of A Plain Miko, Kagome Style

Hey, I haven't written a fanfiction in a long time. Like over 6 years ago. But this has been in my brain for the past few weeks and would not leave me alone. So I decided to give it a go.

WARNINGS: This story will have character deaths, lemons, action, romance, and will be Alternate Universe. This is not going to follow the Inuyasha anime story line. This is for pleasure not for accuracy. I am just posting this to see if anyone would find it interesting. I am also not an English major or anything close to it. I do not have perfect grammar by any stretch of the imagination. So if it bothers you go somewhere else and don't send a nasty review my way. I am warning you now. If you have any comments or questions please review of send a PM. I will answer you as soon as I can.

I also work a lot. So updates might not come every week.

This is your only warning. If this does not appeal to you then don't read. Move on!

P.S. A sort of glossary will be at the bottom if you need it for some of the characters. I am going to have a lot of them.

PROLOGUE: THE MUSINGS OF A TROUBLED LORD

SESSHOMARU stared out at the sweeping landscapes surrounding his citadel. The normally lush landscape was barren of life, lacking in all plant and animal life besides the few demons roaming outside the gates looking for sanctuary. He sent a small glance to his general standing to his left a few paces back. With a single decisive nod of his head Ichiro left the room for a span of only a few moments before his entrance back into the room.

"It has been done, my Lord." He said as Sesshomaru observed two guards and a healer open the gate, closing the gate as soon as the last demon went through.

They led the refugees into the citadel toward the barracks. The Western Lord knew from there they would get the proper care they would need without fail. With his keen sight he observed the marked rib cages, bruises, and matted hair that was becoming very common place in these troubling times.

Sesshomaru said nothing, not that Ichiro expected anything, this he knew.

"Be prepared to leave in the morning for the south. The miko is hiding in the capital city in plain sight."

"Yes, my Lord." Ichiro said as he turned swiftly to leave.

"My Lord, are you absolutely certain she will be able to help us. She has gone into hiding and the spies say that she has no remarkable powers. She is a simple miko who isolates herself from others. This priestess from all accounts is a low-level human with no remarkable power. She sounds nothing like the miko whom defeated the half-breed along-side yourself, my Lord."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at his general. "Do you question this Sesshomaru?"

"No, my Lord. As ever I will follow you." Ichiro said as he bowed to his lord and made a swift exit to make the preparations for departure in the coming morning. Ichiro has been the first general of Lord Sesshomaru for over two hundred years. He above all others knew what the Lord of the West was like. Many misjudged him for his cold demeanor and seemingly ruthlessness. But Ichiro knew what most didn't know about him. He knew that Sesshomaru was a compassionate lord who took into consideration all facets of his lands without fail. He had more compassion than any would believe.

Once his general was dismissed from his presence Sesshomaru found himself reflecting on the happenings that brought the lands to this very spot. It all started with the death of the half-breed, Naraku, which led to the eventual deconstruction of his half-brother's pack. He was there to witness the breaking of this unusual pack. And it all started with the center, the miko known as Kagome Higurashi.

He could remember that time from years ago like it had happened that very day. It all started with the death of the kit which destroyed the miko, whom everyone knew was what kept them all together.

"HIT the mark!" Kagome shouted out as her pink arrow shot through the air, leaving a trail of pink purification behind like a tail. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, at the exact moment, blasted their most powerful attacks toward Naraku. Naraku tried to avoid the attacks but he and his heart were slowly turned into ash before their eyes.

"You might have killed me this day, miko, but I still remain the victor. Your kit will share in my fate." And Naraku was no more.

Sesshomaru looked on the ashes of the half-breed that had caused his lands so much turmoil. A strong wind blew over the battle field, raising the remaining ashes to follow.

"Shippo!" the miko cried out. Then grabbed her chest and fell to her knees.

"Shippo!"

The utter agony made him feel an ounce of pity toward the distraught miko. He, like the rest of them, had guessed that the young kit was dead in the village of Edo. The kit and his ward were placed there with the elder miko for protection. His eyes widened a fraction. Rin!

He flashed to the last remaining chunk of the tainted Shikon Jewel. He placed a hand in his haori only to produce a small silk cloth. He quickly picked up the remaining jewel in his clawed hand before flashing before the kneeling miko. He could remember thrusting it into her hand before removing his hand. He had no use for such a false power.

She looked at him in anguish before clutching it to her neck. A pink flow emitted from her hands before she withdrew them. And hanging on a chain made of metal was the complete Shikon Jewel, its purity radiating power.

Sesshomaru did not give his half-brother the chance to speak before grabbing the miko by the waist, turning into his orb form, and shooting toward Edo.

SESSHOMARU roused himself from his thoughts of the past. Even one such as himself, known for his ruthlessness and cold demeanor, didn't want to dwell on the events that proceeded. Even shaking off the memory his mind still conjured up the sound of the miko's agony at finding the purified ashes of her son.

Walking to his chambers, he rested on his futon to drift away from his memories. The coming days, and the outcome of his encounter with the miko, would decide the fate of Japan. He needed the strongest allies by his side to destroy the newest evil to enter the shores of Japan. And the priestess was the strongest ally that he still had yet to recruit. One thing was for sure in his mind as he drifted off.

The miko will be mine.

CHAPTER 1: LIFE OF A PLAIN MIKO, KAGOME STYLE

KAGOME walked along what would be considered Main Street in the capital city of the Southern Lands. The very essence of the people permeated the air with working men and woman. Lining the street were vendors selling their hard earned produce, merchandise, and weaponry. As she was strolling, Kagome had to stop a few times to avoid the occasional rambunctious child or bow to an elder who recognized her. She made sure to stop at her favorite spot, the place where she got her beloved bow hand-crafted specifically for her. It could withstand spiritual powers and was strong enough to act as a weapon in a pinch.

She was a nomad for the first year after her kit was killed before finally settling in the Southern Capital City, run by the Lord of the South himself. She had found that the well was closed for the foreseeable future, and the likelihood of it opening again was slim to none in her eyes.

She left her friends to their happy lives with each other and disappeared. She could still remember the lingering looks she got even after weeks preceding the final battle. She was trapped in a time not her own with reminders of her son following her everywhere she went. Inuyasha continued to protect the village and would go to any in distress when called. It was funny to her that after so much growling from him when she forced him to help her save innocent lives years later he was doing it on his own with no prodding from her. The stone that broke her back was when Sango and Miroku announced their engagement. She stayed for the ceremony before leaving to find her own path in life.

And she did find a path! For the first year she roamed the lands being a simple miko, helping where needed. She made sure to avoid any areas where she might meet up with her former group though. She learned a great deal on her own though. More than she every would have if she was sheltered by Sango's weapons, Miroku's staff, and Inuyasha's sword. She learned to rely on herself and her own gifts. While traveling she was introduced to many different styles of fighting and even a more varied range of powerful attacks. She had even, for a brief time, stayed in the northern mountains training under a witch in solitude. Kagome learned more in that year than most priestess's learned in a lifetime.

Most things have to come to an end though. It was just past the year mark when Kagome found her sorrow had lessened. She then felt the need to settle down. It was then that as she passed through an eastern village that she had first heard the whispers of the grand capital of the south. Two burly demons were arguing over the insanity of the Southern Lord. They spoke of a city where everyone was welcome to live in peace, be it human, demon, or a combination of anything. All were welcome so as long as they did not disturb the peace. It sounded just like the place she would live in.

The city itself was a leap forward for the times. The Lord of the South, a hawk demon, was a visionary himself along with his mate. Hajime had a vision when he took over for his father. He believed that all should be welcome to his lands as long as their intentions were innocent. He was fierce in battle if roused, but he overall enjoyed the simple pleasures in life. His mate, Kumiko, kept him grounded to his roots of family and friends. She kept him honest and unbiased toward all complaints or fights that might happen so close to home. Between the two of them, the city prospered into a place where anyone, no matter race or gender, could come to have a home. And it was such a place that a powerful priestess such as herself could blind in unnoticed with no one the wiser.

It was this very place that she had taken up residence for the last half decade. She suppressed her powers so much that most only called upon her for simple colds or the occasional child birth when needed. No, Kagome wasn't known as the Shikon Miko here. She wasn't worshipped for killing Naraku or courted by every male whom might have learned her true importance. Her life was simple and ordinary. Just the way she liked it now a days. She was only known for her medicine. She was famous for her herbs that could cure almost any disease. Sometimes it helped coming from the future and all the knowledge that came with it. She was very glad when her mother had the thought to include numerous medical and biology books in her backpack one summer night. Its knowledge was well used even to this day. She loved the fresh plant life that she used. She could never have used most of them in the future because of their rarity.

This place was so peaceful that she had no need to announce her true powers. There was no need. The lord himself settled all disputes or, if occupied, his generals would do it in his stead. Arguments rarely happened as it was. So she lived hidden from the world in plain sight to any whom looked hard enough to find her. It was the perfect plan to stay unseen! Who would look for her in a place like this? No demon would ever think that the Shikon Miko resided in a place filled with demons and half-breeds. No one would ever suspect a lowly miko could have the power that she truly had. She had more power than most spiritual beings had in the palm of her hand. She wasn't trying to be cocky or seem godlike. She just knew that not many could surpass her in power. She had a few traveling miko's tell her this as well as a sorceress. She was content to live in quiet solitude though.

But like all things, good things must come to an end. Rumors were reaching her ears of trouble on the rise. An evil on Japan's shores was starting to destroy the surrounding lands. From the most recent gossip she had heard yesterday morning, it had hit the Northern, Eastern, and Western lands. And the more troubling rumor was that the west was hit the worst out of the three. Some were worried that the South was the next target once the west was taken over. If such a thing were to happen should would not be able to stand back to watch innocent people die.

Kagome tried to shake this off. Sesshomaru was a more than capable ruler. She knew from experience for she traveled his lands for a short time. She had almost run into him more times than was comfortable to her at the time, so she moved to others parts of the country.

She pushed forward in her path toward the outer edges of the city. She needed more herbs for her work. It seemed like she could never pick enough anymore. As the city grew larger every day, her skills seemed to more in demand than ever. Well, at least for the human ailments. Not many demons became sick and those rare few always went to be treated at the palace. No one knew here that she could heal just about anything and anyone if she so chose to. But that was one of the abilities that was most known about the Shikon Miko. She didn't want to be known as her so she left them to be treated at the palace. If she was truly needed for something that even the palace healers could no accomplish she would then step in. She had not changed all that much over the years; she had just learned to like the simple life. It was very relaxing for her. No demons coming to kill the most famous miko of these times or humans trying to worship at her feet.

On her travels she had learned that Miroku and Sango had returned to the slayer's village to rebuild. There they got solitude from all those who wished the remaining survivors in the great battle against Naraku. That sounded like them, too. They, much like herself, didn't like all the attention. They did what they did because it was needed and no one else was going to help them. They did it for honor and revenge on their families. Miroku did it to live. If Naraku wasn't killed he would have died eventually from the wind tunnel in his hand. Sango did it for honor and revenge on her family. And Inuyasha took revenge for his murdered love, the very dead love that looked just like her. Kikyou. She was her reincarnation from five hundred years in the future. And because of Naraku, Inuyasha lost her twice to him. The first time was when she died while still human; and the second time when she was the undead with a part of my soul. When she returned to the afterlife for the second time my soul was oddly enough never returned. Who knew where it went. But life for her went on.

And well for Kagome it was all about doing what was right. She started this whole mess with the jewel. It was her duty and responsibility to correct her mistake. Looking back on her life only a few years ago she never would have believed her life would have turned out like this.

SHE crouched down picking up the desperately needed plants. She methodically put them in a basket clasped by her elbow. Her blue miko bottoms brushed against the grass as she moved about. She had long ago abandoned her future attire. She now wore the traditional miko outfit with a few modifications to suit herself. The entire outfit was a little tighter than most miko garb while her pants were a dark blue instead of the traditional red. These changes were the only things Kagome would allow to distinguish herself from the other priestess's. It suited her well.

When the basket was bursting with various plants Kagome was straightening up from her crouch when she heard it. A twig snapped nearby. Her senses went into over drive with anticipation. She swiftly put her basket down at her feet and moved into the nearby forest. She weaved in between sprawling ferns like she was doing a choreographed dance. Creeping behind a practically large tree she glanced around to look in front of it. She smiled as she saw the culprits trying to sneak up on her. Five children were peering out at her forgotten basket in unabated anticipation. Several were giggling as the oldest girl, a hawk demon, tried to shush the more rambunctious ones.

The group of children would seem unusual to most not familiar with them. Outside of this city never would you find a hawk demoness, lion demon, a human girl, a human boy, and a half-breed girl in one spot playing together. And never would you find such children sneaking up on a miko, no matter her perceived persona. Kagome smiled at them. This is why she loved this city.

"Shh, she will surely hear you!" The young hawk girl hissed.

"When do you think she is going to come back?" This time the human boy asked.

"I don't know. But we have to be ready." Said a lion demon. "She has to come back sometime."

Kagome knew he was the second oldest of the five. She slowly crept forward right behind them. She tapped the human boy on the head. "Tag, you're it!"

She then ran for it. She laughed as she heard them gasp in surprise and chase after her.

"Hey, no fair! You cheated!" Hitoshi, the young human boy, exclaimed. "I'm going to get you, Lady Kagome!"

She just giggled at him as she ran. She was going considerably slower than normal to make sure he could catch up to her. She felt him coming up to her as the other children shouted for her to watch out.

A slight wisp on her sleeve was the only indication of touch upon her person. "Ha! You're now it Lady Kagome."

"Come on, this way!" Hoshi, Hitoshi's twin sister, yelled.

"No, split up! She will never be able to catch us then!" Isamu, the lion cub, commanded.

The children split up, all five going in different directions. Kagome glanced around to see which one was trying to hide in plain sight. A fuzzy black tail peeked out in some tall grass nearby. She smiled and raced over.

She pounced on the half feline child with gusto.

"I got you!" she exclaimed in a fit of laughter.

"No!" Takara denied in defeat.

"I have a proposition for you. Let's team up. Us against them. What do you say to that?"

"Yeah, let's get them!"

They both jumped up and raced toward the tree line.

"I'm on Lady Kagome's team!" Takara shouted. Grumbles of protest were heard about the woods.

"Next time I'm going to bring Yoshiro." Yuka said in confidence.

She obviously didn't like it when she got help in her games against the children. For a brief moment she wondered what trouble Yoshiro had gotten himself into now. But she was sure she would find out very soon. Yuka loved to tell her what was happening in the palace. Looking at the two demon children you would never guess that they were royalty. Kumiko must have allowed them to come play with her so as long as she got her work done first. Kumiko was not like most Ladies. She didn't mind her children or other royal children playing with others not in the same social standing. She knew that to be a great leader the young had to learn what it was like for those below them. Kagome had been playing with these children for the five years that she had been here. Their parents didn't see her as a threat even being a miko. Though she had only met Isamu, heir to the Eastern Lands, twice before. She was curious as to why he was here now. She hadn't felt any massive power entering the city as of late. At least, not to the degree that a cardinal lord would give off anyway. She surely would have felt if his parents had made a visit. She briefly wondered if the rumors of great trouble were worse than she had anticipated. She might have to hand-deliver the children back to their parents. It was a useful way to get the truth out of them. After all, servants knew everything. And they loved it when she visited them, especially the cook. She loved it when Kagome came to visit. They would both cook together, and Kagome would get the latest news of the outside world.

Kagome would have to think on this later though. She had children that needed her undivided attention.

SESSHOMARU looked upon the invisible line separating the south from the west. He stood waiting for a single sign of welcome from the residing lord, to be granted entrance into his region. A slight tug in his mind was all that it took for him to continue traveling with his first general closely following. As he started a steady pace toward the capital city Sesshomaru noticed the unusually green grass, tall magnificent trees, and numerous sounds of animal life. It seemed that this was an untouched land for now. But on closer inspection of these details Sesshomaru's senses revealed something not noticeable to the naked eye. If he had been anyone else he would not have noticed the subtle magic interwoven in his surroundings. If there were any doubts in his mind about the location of the miko they were now without refute. Only the miko could do such a thing.

"My Lord?" Ichiro murmured. Even he sensed something not right about his surroundings.

"Hn." He didn't say anything else.

A few hours later they both sensed the presence of a strong demonic energy coming straight at them with great haste. A transformed hawk demon flew over them, circled once, then settled down on the ground in his human form.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what do I owe this great surprise?" Hajime asked.

"The Western Lands are in need of allies."

"The south will be ready when you call upon us Sesshomaru. I will not, however, frighten my people unnecessarily until a threat is made to my lands."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "This Sesshomaru is looking for a miko. The Shikon Miko. She is located in your city."

Hajime look doubtful. "Lord Sesshomaru, there are several miko's in my city. But none of them have the kind of power you speak of."

"She is there. I will retrieve her."

"Now wait one moment, Lord Sesshomaru." Hajime refuted. "If she is in the city I will allow you speak to her, but no citizen of the south will be forcibly removed from my lands."

"When she learns of the true happenings she will come with me of her own free will." Sesshomaru said. "She will not want to be found."

"I can call a city meeting in the center square. She should show up there for you to identify." Hajime said. "Let us make haste. I have the Eastern Heir in my protection along with my own. I will not leave them unattended for long."

Sesshomaru gave a small nod of understanding. He manifested his energy under his feet and rose into the air. His first general quickly raced forward to start the remaining journey from the ground. Hajime transformed into his hawk form and flew alongside the Western Lord.

It was finally time to draw the miko out. And he knew the perfect trap.

KAGOME flopped onto the ground in a very unladylike manner. She laid back flat on the ground with her hands shielding her eyes from the suns unrelenting glare. Seriously, it could give Sesshomaru some competition. She giggled out loud at her thoughts.

"Lady Kagome, please don't stop now. You have to play with us." Hoshi pleaded over her.

"Let me rest for a moment. I am not as young as I use to be." She replied. "Why don't you join me down here?"

Moments later five bodies lay on all sides of her.

"You are the best, Lady Kagome." Isamu said. Out of all the children Kagome had the least amount of time with the heir to the east. He always seemed to find her when he came to visit though.

"Well, thank you! I didn't know you were coming to visit today, Isamu. Are your parents at the palace looking for you?"

"No, I came with Daisuke. Daddy said I needed to be a good boy while here. And if I wasn't he would punish me when they came to take me home."

"How long are you staying?" Yuka asked him, curiosity evident in her eyes.

"Mommy didn't say. She just said as soon as they could. Daddy written a scroll to Lord Hajime though."

"Isamu, your father wrote." Kagome lightly corrected.

"Ugh, you sound like our tutor, Lady Kagome!" Yuka said.

"I'm sure Isamu will be joining you in your lessons." She replied. "What did your brother do now, Yuka?"

"He covered Akihiro-sensei with the remaining dishes from last night's meal." Yuka was laughing so hard she could hardly speak.

"Really?" Hitoshi asked in wonder.

"Father was so furious that he was sent to the kitchen for the next three days!"

The children gasped in awe. Kagome wasn't surprised though. The royal children were treated like everyone else. Hajime once told her that his children would never become royal snobs like the northern heirs. He would not have dishonest, disobedient, or disrespectful child. It was this kind of thinking that allowed his children to roam the city under careful watch of unseen guards. The only time guards were not watching, he once said, was when with her. She could always call for help if in trouble. Kagome had smiled at this but of knowledge. She wouldn't need the help, but it was humbling to know she was thought of so highly.

Before she could continue Kagome felt him. Sesshomaru, Hajime, and one other were closing in fast. They veered to the palace with a speed much unexpected for such a fine, carefree day. What was going on here? In the five years that Kagome had been living here Sesshomaru had never visited. Hajime had always gone to him.

"I think that it is time," Kagome started to say but was interrupted mid-sentence by a loud dong sounding.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

"Daddy is calling a meeting?" asked Yuka, clearly bewildered.

"Well, let's not be late." She said as she got up. She brushed her pants off as the children leaped up. You could tell they all were eager to find out what was going on.

Kagome wasn't so giddy though. Something was wrong. Sesshomaru didn't just come by. He always had a purpose to everything he did. He was methodical, calculating, and logical. The city meeting was also suspicious activity. Not liking this new development, Kagome put up extra barriers around herself to appear as if a normal human. She didn't think she had enough time to change her clothes though. She wouldn't leave the children by themselves without a caretaker. She would just have to try to blend in with the crowd. This city was rather large in size so she should be able to pull it off.

Hopefully.

Maybe.

Probably not.

She was so screwed.

ENTERING the city square was a hard feat. Kagome was squished between farmers and merchants all trying to get closer to the raised rock platform. Lord Hajime, Lady Kumiko, Lord Sesshomaru, and various generals were there. She noticed the unknown power standing closely behind Sesshomaru. If she had to gander a guess he was the first general, the person whom took orders directly from the Lord. He was also the person in charge if the Lord was unavailable. She was sure that he was the one in charge when Sesshomaru was out hunting Naraku. Seeing him there meant a great deal. Sesshomaru only brought his most trusted general with him if he thought it was warranted. This was no ordinary visit, Kagome thought. This was just the cherry on top of the sundae in her book. Whatever was going on was big. She had a feeling that it had something to do with the rumors going around.

Behind the Lord and Ladies legs stood the heir to the throne along with his younger sister. Just behind them was Isamu. She couldn't see what he was doing, but she imagined it was clutching onto their robes from behind.

Yuko and Isamu were taken from her care just inside the city by the second general. He had nodded to her in thanks before leaving with his charges. The twins were taken by their father, a farmer by trade, while Takara went with her human mother just outside the squares perimeters.

Minutes went by as every able body tried to pack in the space. It seemed that almost everyone was there when Hajime addressed his people.

"I guess I need to rebuild this space?" Lord Hajime chuckled. Everyone laughed in amusement. It didn't surprise Kagome. Hajime was easy going and loved to put people at ease in his presence.

"I will address this issue as soon as I can. However, the reason I have called you today is for a specific purpose. Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands is looking for a miko. He says that the Shikon Miko is in residence in this very city. If you are her please step forward."

Gasps and murmurs quickly traveled like wild fire.

"The Lady Miko is here?"

"I don't believe it."

"Why would she be here?"

"The Holy Priestess in our city. How does my hair look?"

"It is said she is more powerful than Midoriko herself."

"There is no miko here that powerful."

"I am the strongest miko here so she cannot be here!"

"What an honor it would be to actually meet her in person."

"Didn't you here what Lord Hajime said? She lives here. We might have already seen her!"

"Miko, come out and face me." Sesshomaru's voice rang out.

Kagome stood, frozen. She couldn't understand what was going on. Why was Sesshomaru, the Killing Perfection, looking for her after six years?

"If you do not reveal yourself, this Sesshomaru will use force."

Kagome prayed he was bluffing. Lord Hajime would not allow such violence in his own city.

"Very well." Sesshomaru lashed his poison whip at a child standing in the front row. People screamed in terror.

Kagome acted on instinct. A barrier was thrown around the child while a blast of purification slammed into Sesshomaru like a wrecking ball. He slid back a few feet, but held his ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru! That is enough! How dare you?" Lord Hajime shouted over the screams. He crouched in a defensive pose in front of his family as they were taken away. Hajime didn't get to speak any further. Kagome lashed her hand out and an invisible force launched him clear off the platform. All the guards went to secure the royal family and move bystanders out of the way.

Sesshomaru moved his hand again to use his whip attack when he was slammed into his general. They both fell to the ground, hard!

"You want a fight, Fluffy? Bring it!" Kagome yelled out. She dropped her barriers and, in her anger, began to radiate a pink purity. Demons and humans alike quickly backed away from her. Many of them exclaiming their astonishment at the new turn of events. The Shikon Miko was masquerading as a low level miko with no impressive powers in their very city for five years.

She ignored those around her in favor of staring at Sesshomaru as he elegantly stood again. He smirked at her.

"I knew you couldn't resist, miko."

Her anger only grew. She couldn't believe that he did that to draw her out. He knew her weakness. A child. That was all it took to make her act. Shippo's face flashed in her mind. He would pay for doing this. What an underhanded trick.

"You will pay for this." Kagome said as she concentrated on her legs. Forcing energy into her feet she jumped into the air and actually levitated several feet above everyone's heads. She turned around and began to run. It was like a pink road appeared in her path. She ran away knowing he couldn't resist. And sure enough Sesshomaru followed her.

"Come on, Fluffy! Here, puppy, puppy, puppy!" taunted Kagome. "That is such a good boy!"

Sesshomaru tackled her to the ground just outside the city. They were both in the center of a field, grass swaying in the wind. Sesshomaru quickly leaped off her to land twenty feet from her.

"Show respect to your betters, miko."

"I am your better, Sesshomaru. How dare you do that?" Kagome said. "And for what? To draw me out!"

He growled. "The pup would not have been harmed."

"Well, it was a shitty way of asking for help, Fluffy."

Sesshomaru growled at her. He did not appreciate her nickname.

"Oh, bite me. This Kagome will call you what she will until you apologize. Now why don't you tell me why you and your general are here? I know it isn't to catch up on old times."

Sesshomaru scowled.

"Oh, a facial expression. Sesshomaru you are beginning to slip. Have you lost your edge?"

Sesshomaru drew his sword so fast that Kagome only saw the attack as it was coming at her. She raised a barrier at the last second, but it still forced her back several yards. She uncrossed her arms from in front of her before lowering them.

"Now that is the Fluffy I know." she exclaimed.

GLOSSARY:

Ichiro – first general to Sesshomaru

Hajime – Lord the Southern Lands, hawk demon

Kumiko – Lady of the Southern Lands, hawk demon

Hitoshi – young human boy (group of five) has a twin sister

Hoshi – young humane girl (group of five) has a twin brother – Hitoshi

Takara – half human/half black feline demoness (group of five)

Isamu – heir to the Eastern Lands, lion demon (group of five)

Yoshiro – heir to the Southern Lands, hawk demon, older brother to Yuka

Yuka – second child to the Southern Lands, hawk demon, younger sister of Yoshiro (group of five)

Daisuke – third general to the Eastern Lands, caretaker to Isamu while in the care of the Southern Lands

Akihiro – tutor to the children of the Southern Lands

(group of five) refers to the five children she plays with after picking herbs and such


	2. Throwing Down The Gauntlet

CHAPTER 2: THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET

KAGOME raised her arm just as his whip was about to strike her. When it crashed against her arm, her entire body flashed pink and his whip disintegrated in front of them.

She smirked at him in triumph. It was going to take a lot more than that pitiful attack to hit her. She lowered her arm as she continued to stare at him.

"I have to admit, I have been feeling a little antsy the last few years. No one has been around to challenge me. No one even knew who I was. Until now. Thanks so much for that. Now I have to find a new place to live."

"Only a coward hides, human. This Sesshomaru did not take you as such."

"I wasn't hiding from anything. I just found a place to settle down. I am no coward."

"Miko, you have abandoned your pack. You hide your identity from all. This is a coward's way out."

"I do not need to justify myself to you, Sesshomaru. Now what the hell do you want?"

He raised his demon energy higher. She guessed this was his answer. Not in words, but in a challenge. He raised his powers again; poison was beginning to drip from his claws.

To any normal demon, his energy would have killed them already. A higher level might have passed out or fought back. That was the exact thing she was going to do. She was going to fight back. He was raising the bar so to speak, and she would answer his challenge. If he wanted to challenge her then he was going to get a few surprises. Bring it on!

Kagome's hue of pink increased exponentially. The slight pink became a burning vibrant hot pink. If she was still in the future Kagome would only describe it as going to a club with neon pink lights. Man, it had been so long since she had, essentially, powered up.

Her purity lashed out around her in anger, rising to the demonic energies surrounding it. Pushing at his energy, the two powers clashed between them – green and pink pushing against each other in a fight for dominance.

Their clothes billowed around them with the sheer forces of energy circulating throughout the area. Unnatural winds pushed against all who came near. She then sensed Sesshomaru's lackey approaching as fast as he could. She knew from earlier in the day that he could move a lot faster than this though. Their powers were so strong that he was not as mobile as usual. She found herself more than a little impressed with this general. Not many demons would come this close to this kind of power without being destroyed. It also spoke greatly to Kagome about the type of general he is and the type of lord Sesshomaru is. It seemed that the general was concerned about the welfare of his lord. If he wasn't loyal to his lord then he wouldn't have come so close to the very thing that could kill him in a few seconds if it so suited her.

Yes, she found herself impressed. But this did not mean that she was going to stop just yet. Sesshomaru was obviously testing her for something. What she didn't know, but her reputation was on the line. She wasn't the Shikon Miko for nothing. However, it went beyond this though. She wanted to prove herself to this demon. She wanted to prove her worth to Sesshomaru above all others. She did leave her pack behind. She grieved the loss of her kit. She learned how to defend herself and any that might in the future come into her protection. She wouldn't allow what happened to her son happen to any other that might come into her care. She would not be that weak pathetic reincarnation again. She was an extremely gifted miko with an enormous amount of spiritual power. She wasn't that nobody human Sesshomaru knew six years ago. She wanted to prove this to him anything else. She was someone worthy of his notice.

She pushed her powers harder. With each raise of energy, he followed parallel to her. If she could see this from Ichiro's perspective she would have seen the most amazing display of power. As she raised her energy she slowly forced his green demonic energy to retreat back toward him. Sesshomaru would then force her powers back and push on her.

This continued for a time. She couldn't tell how long this happened. She just stared at him, challenging him back. For what seemed like years, they continued in a stale mate. Neither gaining any ground, neither moving from their spot.

Crack!

Kagome watched as the ground beneath their feet began to crack between them. Some pieces began to rise off the ground, defying gravity, and then defied the laws of physics as they disintegrated right in front of all three pairs of eyes. She then began to notice the reddening of Sesshomaru's eyes. His true demon was starting to rise. This needed to end now. If they got into a physical fight there was no accounting the amount of damage they could both do. The city was not far from their location. An opponent like him would cause her to really work. She was not positive she would be able to beat him, but the city would most assuredly be destroyed in the process.

"Enough!" she yelled. As if reading each other's minds, they both sucked their power back into their respective bodies.

"Are you satisfied, Sesshomaru? Did this human prove her worthiness to be in your mere presence?"

SESSHOMARU was taken aback by this confident, independent miko standing in front of him. This human would never have spoken to him in such a way without having his half-breed brother standing on the sidelines. Flashing forward, almost at the speed of light, he stood a few feet from this strange resilient creature. He could feel the energy just slightly raised above her skin. Ah, she had put up an almost invisible barrier. For a human, she was remarkable self-controlled. The woman before him was not the girl from years past.

He found himself oddly impressed with her audacity. No one stood up to him. No one. Not even his half-brother bothered to challenge him anymore. If he was being honest, Sesshomaru would admit to himself – if only silently – that he missed a challenge. This unique human might be able to provide some entertainment while she was in the west. She would be in the Western Lands very soon. Failure to acquire the presence of the miko was not permitted.

"You have improved, human."

The girl only glared at him. "I have not even started."

"This Sesshomaru would expect nothing less from his greatest ally."

The miko looked at him in shock. "What did you just say?"

"Miko, you will accompany this Sesshomaru to the Western Lands. The presence of the Shikon Miko is required."

KAGOME did not know what to make of this new development. She took a short moment to contemplate this news. Sesshomaru admitted to needing her help. He threated a child in front of her, knowing what her reaction would be. He wouldn't do that under normal circumstances though. He, above all others, would understand such a bold move to make with her of all people. She was insanely protective of any child, no matter the race, species, or gender. Sesshomaru had a child of his own to look after. A human female as a matter of point. Rin would be in her mid-teens now… Maybe fourteen or fifteen… But onto other matters.

She knew he had goaded her into revealing herself. But why go about it so harshly. He should have been able to use her scent to track her if he was looking for her. Plus, there were the added political ramifications that his stunt would cause with Lord Hajime. The Lord of the South was known for protecting his people. He would not easily ignore such an act upon one of his people, no matter the intentions.

So with all these factors there remained one question. What would cause Sesshomaru to seek out his half-breed's old companion while simultaneously possibly causing a war between two regions?

It hit her! Sesshomaru was known for a few things, the first and foremost was being the strongest of the cardinal lords as well as the coldest. He didn't invite humans into his lands, like Hajime, but he also did not forbid them from settling in his territory. There were only two things Kagome could think of that would cause Sesshomaru to act like this. The first was Rin. She might have been born human, but Sesshomaru treated his ward like a daughter at times. He might not be a touchy feely dad, but he was a dad nonetheless. She didn't think it was that though. Rin would not necessitate her involvement. The second was the west. That had to be it. His protection of his lands, his heritage, was unparalleled.

"So the rumors are true." she whispered. She looked up to look him straight in the eyes. She noticed a slight widening of them. So she was right. She also took him by surprise.

"So why don't you inform this miko of what would make you call upon her?" Kagome asked. She just had to add in a little mocking in her tone. "Why do you need me?"

"You have heard the rumors."

"I have heard hearsay. What is the truth?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer immediately. He stood immobile in front of her. Not blinking, not moving a muscle, and barely breathing. If she didn't know any better she would think him paralyzed. But she knew better. Sesshomaru was a dog demon like no other. He might seem calm and relaxed; however, she knew from experience that it was a mask for what was really happening. He is smelling the air, feeling the dirt below his feet, sensing all life around his person, and calculating all possible outcomes in his warrior mindset. He could just as easily cut someone's head clear off right now as he could elegantly settle on the ground.

"An unknown creature is attacking the territories excluding the land you reside in. This Sesshomaru requires a powerful miko as an ally. You will assist this Sesshomaru in the destruction of his enemy."

"Do you know what it is?" she asked.

"It is the belief of this Sesshomaru that it is not of this world. It destroys all life. Entire villages in this one's territory have been destroyed overnight. None have survived."

"Do, do you mean like a god?" Kagome was hesitant in asking this particular question. She didn't know if she wanted to know the answer.

"This Sesshomaru does not know."

Kagome was stunned. She could not imagine what could cause this damage. It sounded unworldly. Like this creature wasn't real. What could kill an entire village in a single night? Well, besides, Sesshomaru or any cardinal lord or her. If it was a demon village she could hypothetically take out a demon village.

"Are you sure it isn't human?"

Sesshomaru stared at her, saying nothing in words, but he didn't have too.

"Okay, stupid question. I wonder why it hasn't attacked the south? What would cause it to stay from here? Could it be saving here for last or did it want no one alive to give backup? What if it can't move that fast or take on all four territories at once?" Kagome muttered. She began to pace back in forth in front of him.

"It sounds like the jewel, but that's impossible. What could have this kind of power and go unnoticed before? If it is from somewhere else where did it come from?"

"Miko," Sesshomaru said. She continued to mutter back and forth in front of him.

"Miko, we depart immediately."

She stopped in her tracks. "What?"

"This Sesshomaru will not repeat himself."

"I will help you, Fluffy, but I need to get my affairs in order. I need at least a day or two. I will catch up to you later."

"This Sesshomaru will not leave without your presence, miko."

"And I am telling you that I need a little time. I will meet you at the western citadel. I know where it is. I have been there before, Sesshomaru."

His eyes narrowed at her.

"Oh, please. Who do you think took care of Rin when she became a woman? Don't tell you me that you actually thought your servants knew the biological workings of a human child, Sesshomaru? I was in and out before you even got home with a healer."

"You have entered this one's palace without permission, miko?"

"Entered where?" she asked with an angelic look on her face.

She smiled at him one more time before walking back to the city.

"I will see you at the palace in two days, Lord Sesshomaru. You have my word. General, have a good trip home."

"SHALL I follow her, my Lord?" Ichiro asked. He was rather astonished with this curious miko. Her powers were incredible. Like nothing he had ever seen before. He had heard rumors of the Great Midoriko, but based on observations he could only guess that she was stronger than the strongest miko ever recorded. There was also the manner in which she approached his Lord. No other being, including himself, could speak to Lord Sesshomaru in such a way and live to tell the tales. They could defeat this thing.

"No, the miko will not break her word. We return to the west."

Turning away the two demons swiftly left the area.

LIFE wasn't fair. Kagome knew this better than most. After all, not many people could tell someone they were stuck in a different time not their own. Not many could say that the once love of their life chose a corpse over them. Not many could say they were inadvertently responsible for their child's death. It wasn't her fault, she could say that now with certainty, but that does not ignore the facts. But she has had a pretty amazing life though. No one but her could say they came from the future. She knows some pretty amazing humans, half-humans, and demons. She could drop by to see the eastern lands with a warm welcome. Or any land really. She had helped so many people, she had learned so much, and she had made a great many friends along the way.

So life wasn't fair, but that was life. Her peaceful days were over, but a new journey had just started. A new chapter in her life had just started. She just knew it. She didn't know what was going to happen or if she could win, but she knew that from this moment on her life would never be the same again. Maybe that was why she was stuck in this time still. Maybe this was the unfinished business she needed to accomplish before returning to her family. She did not know at this point, but she decided to remain optimistic. An unknown evil was destroying her country. She could not ignore a call like that. Even if Sesshomaru had not come to her she would have found out eventually. Lord Hajime was no doubt going to help the surrounding lands in their time of need. And in doing so any volunteers would be recruited to help the defenders. She knew without a shadow of a doubt she would have been right behind them. Her identity wasn't kept a secret deliberately. Ok, that was a lie. She liked the quiet life. But the times have changed again. No longer could she remain in the dark, ignorant of the happenings outside her peaceful home. It was time to step up and live again. And it seemed that the time had finally come.

AS she came to the edges of town she noticed the scattering population. Deciding to avoid the bulk of scrutiny, Kagome took the back alleys to her hut. She did not feel like being on display for all to gossip. Now she remembered why she kept her identity a secret. She took back what she thought before; Sesshomaru was going to pay for this. Revenge was a dish best served cold. And she would get it too. Somehow, someway, she would get him back for this. Ten minutes later she entered her hut as discretely as possible. She knew this city like the back of her hand so the knowledge came in handy in this particular situation.

She pulled a brown leather-like satchel from under some baskets in the corner. Methodically moving about her hut she placed herbs, clothes, and food in various handmade compartments. It wasn't as big or as intricate as her old school backpack, but it was the upgraded Feudal Era version she came up with. She had long since given up her modern technological advancements of the future for the current century's ways. This didn't mean that she had to live with their ways though. She tried to update a lot of her items to resemble something similar to what she was familiar with. She also refused to follow common hygiene or medical practices. She knew better. Staying clean would help extend her life, not lower it. Stupid old wives tale.

Pausing in her musings, she glanced at her hands. She spent a lot of time out in the sunshine, gathering herbs and playing with the local children. But no traces of imperfections were etched in her skin, no scars from scrapes were present, or any callouses appeared on her palm. She brushed her fingers through her wavy dark tresses in contemplation. She was twenty-four years old now, but she had noticed no remarkable changes in her facial or body structure since she was eighteen. She hadn't changed since Naraku was destroyed, since the jewel disappeared back into her body. Inuyasha had been oddly understanding of this fact, but she had never actually wished on the jewel before it was absorbed into her chest. She could only postulate that she had become the new guardian of the jewel. What better way to protect it than to have it in her chest. No one knew it was there, it remained in a constant state of purity, and there was no way to shatter it. It was a win-win situation for her. She did wonder though what the affect the jewel had on her body. These questions would have to be addressed later. She had more work to get to before the second general of the southern lands made it to her door. She felt his approach towards her hut just then.

Placing her bow across her chest for it to rest on her back, she responded to his knock before he could speak.

"I know what you are here for, Goro. I'm surprised your brother allowed you out from under his wing." Kagome smiled in teasing as she turned to look at the Second General of the Southern Lands.

Goro was the fifth son born in his family; he was also the youngest child in his family. His oldest brother, the first born son, Junichi, was the First General of the Southern Lands. The two brothers were so alike and yet so different. They reminded her of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha in many ways. Junichi was very serious when working. He was driven to always be better and never be second best to any but his Lord. No room for error was allowed when the royal family was in his care. He spoke his mind to his lord when permitted and held his tongue when his voice was unneeded. Goro, on the other hand, was much like Inuyasha in mindset. He fought like his brother, but his temper was not always contained when he felt his point of view wasn't heard. He had no quarrel in speaking his mind at the most inappropriate times. She had heard horror stories of his antics. That was another thing. He was a fantastic fighter, only being beaten for first general by his brother. But Junichi and Goro were most similar not in their ability to defend against an enemy, but in their tricks. The two brothers were both tricksters by nature, the stereotypical kitsune demon.

When the two brothers had joined the Southern Land ranks many had questioned Lord Hajime's judgment or so she had heard. This was over three hundred years ago after all. But they were certainly close friends of hers. She loved playing with them. She would never forget when Yoshiro, Yuka, and herself pulled the best prank on both brothers. It was spectacular in its simplicity. She dulled the children's energy signatures before letting them race around the palace, making sure to instruct them to double trace multiple paths and crisscross their steps. The two brothers ended up tracking the three of them to the throne room. As soon as they burst through the double doors berry juice poured on top of them with flower petals falling just after. Both foxes had to return to their rooms as the laughing stock of the castle. When Kagome and the two royal children were brought in front of the lord and lady for punishment, they were met with laughter. Kagome still laughed at the memory. Lord Hajime had taken one look at them before placing a small object in his mate's hand.

It seemed that this retaliation for a previous prank pulled by the two foxes was expected and anticipated by the Lord and Lady of the South. Kagome was soon dismissed with a smile and well wishes. She later found out from Lady Kumiko that she won a new pair of jeweled earrings to match a necklace she already possessed. She never found out what Hajime would have won if the tables had been turned. But she guessed that from the secretive look on the Kumiko's face when asked that she really did not want to know. There were just some things she did not want to know. TMI was a real thing.

"WHY did you not tell us, Lady Kagome?" Goro asked, hurt in his voice.

Her eyes softened. "I did not want what I am going to face as soon as I step out of this hut. You have already started to change in front of my very eyes."

Goro stared at her. "Lady Kagome, nothing would have changed. This entire city was built on tolerance."

"See, right there. You called me Lady Kagome. You have never been so proper with me before. This is what I wanted to avoid. I just wanted to be known as Kagome. Not as the Shikon Miko. Not as someone to fear or revere. Just Kagome. Because that is who I am, Goro. I am just me. No more, no less. Can you understand that?" She choked up at the end, turning away from his betrayed eyes.

Goro was one of her closest friends. She didn't know what she would do if he abandoned her because of this. She didn't want her friendship to end.

Goro stepped up behind her. He seemed to pause in contemplation before she felt a cold gel-like substance fall on her head.

"Call this payback for keeping such a big secret." Goro laughed at her. He flashed out the door in a frenzy of laughter. If he wasn't so old she would think of him as her annoying younger brother. She moved her bow onto her futon before running in pursuit.

"Goro, I'm going to make you pay for this!" She raced after him, laughing in relief. She was forgiven.

GORO ran toward the palace at a slow pace to make sure she could catch up to him. He laughed at her laugh because that was who Kagome was to so many. She was just like Kagome said. She was just herself. She didn't try to be anybody else. Thinking on it, Goro couldn't recollect any moment when someone asked her about her low-leveled powers. Everyone, including him, just assumed she was just Kagome. No one asked her if she was more powerful than she seemed. Kagome had always been known as Kagome in this place. She didn't pretend to be anyone she was not. She didn't confront anyone; she had no enemies, only friends, and a list of admirers as long as the palace. Junichi and he both had strong feelings for this little miko. It often resulted in many sparing sessions together. Neither came on top simply because Kagome had shown no interest in either of them. Kagome treated them like everyone else.

She was perfect. Thinking about it, he knew her deceit had no impact on his true feelings for her. He had loved her from the moment he met her. Junichi had said the same. Kagome was pure light in a dark world. She shined with life and love for all. If he asked any person in the area who was the most loved person in the south the answer would be the same. It was Kagome. She wasn't known just for her herbs anymore. She was known for her caring nature, loving personality, and radiant light. Finding out her true name was nothing to him in the end. He just thought she would have told him. But Kagome was just Kagome he guessed. It was who she was. She didn't like to be pampered or coddled by anyone. And these things were just some of the reasons why he, like so many others, loved her. She didn't know it yet, but she had her pick of mates a kilometer long. Men would line up to just look at her. And Junichi and he would be at the front of that line.

"Goro, you can't run forever!" shouted the woman who owned his heart.

THE Shikon Miko rushed up the steps to the palace in a huff. Where had that darn kitsune gone now? She brushed her hand through her hair again only to be reminded of her ire. It would only figure that he would use a gel for burned skin. She made this formula only last week. Fires would become very possible in the near future. The south had the worst heat waves during the summer. Sometimes an ignorant merchant would light a fire only to have it get out of hand. She had several cases last summer and wanted to be prepared. This particularly large batch she made was actually going to the chief healer in the palace. Thankfully, Goro only used a little of her supplies. Most of it was still setting in her workroom. This small amount she was going to set aside for her own use. She had been burned more than once in her work. She always helped with these types of things.

She looked toward the throne room. Without even checking, she knew instinctively that the higher ups would be waiting for her in that room. But she wouldn't be her without causing a little trouble for Goro. This was her pay back. She walked in the opposite direction, going toward the indoor hot springs. She typically didn't use them, but she would make an exception in this case. She was not going to face them with burn ointment in her hair and dirt all over her. She would need all the confidence she could get and a nice soak would cheer her right up.

"Good afternoon, Lady Kagome? The Lord and Lady are expecting you in the throne room." Aiko greeted her. It was her job as head servant to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. She worked directly under Lady Kumiko. Lady Kumiko told her everyday what needed to be done, and it was Aiko's job to see it done.

Aiko was especially valued above all when Kumiko was pregnant with her first child, the heir. She still remained a focal point in the palace, everyone coming to her if any questions or needing more assistance.

"I'm going to take a quick bath. Goro decided that my meeting with Hajime and Kumiko could wait. Tell them I will be with them in thirty minutes." Kagome respectfully said to Aiko. You don't piss off Aiko; it just wasn't good for your health.

"Very well, Lady Kagome, I will inform My Lord immediately."

"Thank you, Aiko. You are just the best."

She soon found herself soaking in a hot spring, nestled on an unnatural rock shelf. She had immediately immersed herself, cleaning off all dirt and gel before resting against the edge. Her front was facing the entrance, but her eyes remained closed in relaxation. A light caress on her senses alerted her before the door was slowly opened then closed. She heard a rustle of cloth falling to the floor then gentle steps coming toward the spring.

"It feels so good in here." she muttered in bliss.

"I told Hajime when we mated this was a must. I would not move here without a hot spring."

"And if I remember the stories correctly, he started construction the very next morning. He would do anything for you. But you have to keep him and the kitsune's in line while I'm gone. Who knows what trouble the general's will get into without me around."

The Southern Lady giggled. "Kagome, you cause more trouble than they do!"

"I represent that statement." She couldn't help but laugh with her. It was the truth. Kagome instigated just as much pranks as the brothers did. She was just better at not getting caught. The children just didn't come up with their antics on their own either.

They laughed in shared humor for a few moments before it abated.

"How," she stumbled. "How mad is everyone?"

"A few of them are admittedly a little angry. For you to keep so much of yourself unknown while learning everything about them…" She drifted off. "Well, you can understand some of their anger. And some are a little scared, Kagome."

She opened her eyes for the first time to look at Kumiko since she entered. She didn't know what to make of that last little bit. She was the same now as she was before that stupid mutt ousted her. It was his fault. That jerk!

"But I'm the same as I was before. I just don't have to hide my identity anymore. I can help more than ever now. I am still me. Nothing has changed…"

"Kagome, you misunderstood. Hajime finally told our people what has been really going on. I am sure Lord Sesshomaru has already told you about it. And they all know that you are going to leave for the west. It is said the west was the worst off. Many are afraid for your safety, Kagome."

She ignored that last bit. "Kumiko, Sesshomaru didn't tell me much about what was really going on. But that is typical Sesshomaru. He just mentioned that entire villages were being destroyed overnight and land was being sucked of all life."

"Yes, but that is just the beginning. Demons and humans are turning against each other, slaughtering each other for survival. Priestesses and monks are eradicating all demons that come in their path. Crops are dying, animals diseased or already dead. The land just dirt. No life. Hajime visited last month and Lord Sesshomaru said it was getting worse. Mass hysteria is everywhere and there is no stopping it."

"How long ago did this start?" she whispered.

"Three months. Sesshomaru said it started in the western shores, but has since infiltrated the surrounding land. The only place untouched is –"

"Here," Kagome interrupted. Kumiko nodded.

"And what about you, can you forgive me?"

"Kagome, we always suspected there was more to you than meets the eye. You will find no resentment from us."

She looked directly in her eyes as if to look into her soul. She found what she was looking for.

"Thank you. I will go see Hajime and then depart as soon as possible."

She heaved herself from the spring, bypassing the handmade steps, quickly dried off, and put the new clothes Kumiko had brought for her. She smiled a little at the sweet gesture. It was so like her to do something like this. Everyone knew how much she prided herself on being clean. She was teaching the children that cleanliness was a good thing, it would keep them healthier. And healthier meant more play time. What child didn't follow that logic?

"Kagome," Lady Kumiko said before she left. She glanced back midway out of the large double doors.

"Yes, My Lady?"

"Keep yourself safe. My mate and I would be very unhappy if we had to find a new caretaker."

Kagome smiled. "I will do everything I can to return. Besides, I haven't shown them the hidden passage into the kitchen or the one to listen in on private conversations in Hajime's study."

Slipping through, she closed the door behind her. She could hear the exasperated shouts from Lady Kumiko threw the doors.

"Kagome!"

Snickering, she left for the aforementioned study.

KNOCK, knock.

Kagome knocked on the lord's study door just before letting herself in. She had never before asked for permission to enter so she saw no reason to start now.

"Lady Kagome, I see you have finally joined us." Lord Hajime said at her entrance.

"Blame Goro. It was his fault."

"Of course it was. I take it you have spoken to my mate?"

"Yes, I will be leaving for the west as soon as possible. Sesshomaru is expecting me in two days."

"Do you always refer to him so informally?" Junichi asked.

"I have never been very good with titles. Besides, if he becomes too Sesshomaru-like I just call him Fluffy. He would rather his name that the latter."

Junichi looked like he was going to pass out. "You speak to Lord Sesshomaru in such a way frequently?"

"Trust me, Junichi-chan, he gives as good as he gets."

The first general didn't look convinced, but wisely chose to stay silent on the matter.

"Lord Hajime, may I ask for a few things before leaving?"

"Of course, Lady Kagome. Anything you need is at your disposal."

"See this is why I didn't tell you about me. I hate all this Lady crap. It is just Kagome, Ka-go-me. If I wanted to be a lady I wouldn't have any fun."

"As you wish, Kagome."

"Okay now that that is cleared up, I need a Miku to get the medicine from my home. I have already put it in boxes by the door. All she has to do is take it here. I need extra arrows for my bow and more string. I would also like to request my hut be closed off. I don't need any curios children getting into trouble. Some of the mixtures in there could kill if consumed."

"It will be done. I would also like to request something of you, Kagome."

"Yes?"

"Take Goro with you."

"What?"

"Kagome, I know you can protect yourself. You have proven as much earlier this morning. However, my mate and children would be very upset with me if you go without a companion. Just in case you could use the help. He has already volunteered his services and Junichi consents his approval."

"Well, it doesn't sound like I have a choice in the matter."

"Kagome, you can decide to keep him with you or he can follow you everywhere you go. It is up to you."

"Nice. Lots of choices here. Wait a second, let me think about this. Hmm," She put her index finger to her chin and turned her head to the side.

After two seconds she said in the most sarcastic voice possible. "Okay, I'll take him!"

Chuckles rang out in the office. It was a nice sound, Kagome thought. Laughing was a nice way to leave for what could only be described as war. War…

Kagome was going to war. Laughter was going to be a thing of the past very soon.

GLOSSARY:

Ichiro – first general to Sesshomaru

Hajime – Lord the Southern Lands, hawk demon

Kumiko – Lady of the Southern Lands, hawk demon

Yoshiro – heir to the Southern Lands, hawk demon, older brother to Yuka

Yuka – second child to the Southern Lands, hawk demon, younger sister of Yoshiro (group of five)

Goro – second general to the Southern Lands, younger brother to Junichi - fifth son born

Junichi – first general to the Southern Lands, older brother to Goro, first son born

Aiko – head servant at the palace of the South

Miku – chief healer at the palace of the south


	3. Hope U Don't Mind Being Saved By A Girl

CHAPTER 3: HOPE YOU DON'T MIND BEING SAVED BY A GIRL

KAGOME could not believe her eyes. She just could not believe them. And for a time traveling, reincarnated miko, from five hundred years in the future, seeing something unbelievable was saying something. Goro, her traveling companion, stood next to her in a similar state of shock.

"Do you see what I see?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

"What could do something like this?" Goro whispered.

"I don't know. But I intend to find out."

The two odd traveling companions had traveled outside of the southern lands just that afternoon and had entered the west. A few miles into the official lands of the west things began to change. The lust grass of the west slowly became littered with rocks, dirt, and empty springs. In front of them stood a simple village that had at one point obviously prospered in farming. It now stood a shadow, a memory of what it once was. The sprawling lands for farming were completely bare of all life. The wells dry with obvious signs of long term drought. No moisture was in the dirt to indicate the once lush land this must have been at one time.

She could remember this particular village. She had passed it once in her travels before coming to settle in the south. It was a wonderful place with laughing children, trusting farmers, and a compassionate village leader. This land once prospered. And as she looked at this desolate land before her she felt the prick of tears covering her eyes, beginning to pool at the bottom of her eyes.

She remembered this place very well. It was a safe place for her to stop because it was so close to the southern lands. She could easily move on in the dead of morning with no one noticing her departure. She could still see it like it was yesterday. In her minds eye she saw a blossoming village with working villagers in the sprawling lush fields hard at work. Woman worked alongside the men or stayed in the village tending to the children. Some watched on as they wove fabric and stitched patches of clothes. Some even helped the local healer to make her most basic remedies. She even remembered meeting the elder leader as she stopped for the night. She stayed in his hut for the night with his wife. His children were in their own huts by this point with their own families so they didn't mind her company. She had taught the healer some of her herb mixtures that night as she helped a little boy clean and wrap a nasty cut.

"These people didn't deserve this. No one deserves this." Kagome's strangled voice broke through Goro's subconscious. He whipped his head down toward her in astonishment.

"You knew these people?"

"Yes, I have been here before." Tears fell down her cheek as she spoke. "They had no miko, just a basic healer. They could stand no chance against an attack; and I warned the elder of that before I left."

"There was nothing you could have done, Kagome. Whatever did this," he paused, shaking his head. "No one could have prevented this without being here while it happened. You can't change the past."

Kagome chuckled out in exasperation and sorrow. It was not the usual sound that came out of her though. This sound was full of mocking and tears. If only he knew that you could change the past. She was living proof of changing time. She literally changed time by just existing in this timeline. "I know. I just… Come on, we need to continue. Sesshomaru is not known for his patience and does not believe in tardiness."

"You never told me how you know Lord Sesshomaru." Goro said as they passed the destroyed village.

"I once traveled with his half-brother. We ran into each other once or twice in our separate travels. In the end, Sesshomaru showed up to help destroy Naraku. But I'm sure that you knew that last part."

"You know his brother?" Goro asked in astonishment.

"Don't sound so surprised. We traveled together for three years along with some others."

"I have heard of the stories I just did not thing them credible. Is it true that," Goro started to ask.

She cut him off before he could finish. "We were very close once. But our relationship never went past friendship; some things just can't be overcome."

"Does that mean?"

"Good Lord, Goro! I didn't know you were such a gossip. I should let you talk to the servants from now on instead of Aiko. You would get along with them perfectly."

He glared at her in exasperation. "I do not gossip. I ask to gain knowledge of the future members to come."

She snorted. "You can act like a general right now Goro, but we both know differently. You just want to get information on future pranks. But I should let you know that the likelihood of Inuyasha and the others being there are slim to none. You must have heard the rumors. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha do not get along, not one bit. So don't even go there."

GORO stayed quiet after that. She didn't have a clue of his affections. She, whom held his entire world in the palm of her hand, didn't know that he was checking out the competition. She did, however, answer his questions though without even knowing it. His little miko was unattached and had no ties to the Prince of the West at this time. And according to her the rumors of the Prince and Lord's dislike of each other was not unfounded. He followed after his secret love with a new determination in his mind.

He would not make a move on her without his brother present to also place his suit, but that did not believe he would not use this time to learn everything about this strong miko. Knowledge was key in any competition. And this perfect woman before him was the most perfect prize and any who met her knew this as well. That was why the two brothers agreed to wait until they both could present together their individual intentions. He might be a trickster by nature, but he respected his brother enough to play this competition with dignity. He did not want to win by trickery. She was worth more than that. She was Kagome and that was all that needed to be said.

The Shikon Miko and Second General of the Southern Lands continued forward in their journey to the palace of the western lands. If all went as planned they would arrive at the Western Citadel just barely within two days.

SESSHOMARU landed in his courtyard with all the grace that was expected of someone of his status. He did not bother to greet the few servants in the yard bowing to him at his return. He had far more important matters to attend to. He briskly strode into his ancestral home immediately moving toward his study. As he made his approach he felt the energy signature of his second general moving to greet him. Ichiro would arrive at the palace within the hour.

Entering his office he closed the door as was his custom. His study was the primary place he stayed in when in his palace. He settled all paperwork in this room and kept all visiting guests out of this space. He settled on his mound of cushions behind his raised desk that stood two or three feet off the ground. Parchment littered the space in neat stacks for his attention with a quill and ink compartment to his right. Sesshomaru looked at the center stack directly in front of him with a keen eye. His retainer, Jaken, knew to put all information about this new enemy in the center of his desk before all other paperwork. He moved his right hand to pick up the most recent report on his lands as his left arm rested on the top of his left leg. His left arm had regenerated within the last year to return to its full function. As he read the top document he felt his second general, Masahiko, stop before his study door. He silently waited for entrance as was expected from all his subjects.

"Enter." He ordered without taking his eyes off the report before him.

"My Lord," Masahiko greeted as he bowed. He rose a moment later when it was respectful enough to do so.

"This Sesshomaru's last ally will be arriving in two days. The house will be prepared for the new arrival. Bring the healer to me."

Masahiko nodded his head, bowed, and swiftly left the room.

Glancing up for a nanosecond as the door was closed Sesshomaru smirked. He knew that his second general and his new miko would not be compatible in close quarters. Masahiko was a bear demon from a very old family in the northern most parts of his lands. His father was one of the miner lords that had been established in the area for centuries. Masahiko came to him with high expectations to become his first general, but was made second after being soundly defeated by Ichiro. Ichiro, his first general, was a black dog demon while Masahiko was a brown bear demon. His temper was short while his prejudice to humans was notorious.

And what was more, he believed women were made to serve, not fight. It was his belief that a female's job was to be seen not heard, submissive, and complaint to their mate's wishes. Sesshomaru once believed as such a long time ago. His views on the female gender began to change when his mother was left with no mate. He later began to understand what that type of mindset could do. He now questioned how much damage that belief system could do to a female. As much as he would not admit it, Rin came to mind. He could not imagine her becoming a virtual slave to another male's will. He would not allow it when it came time for her to wed. But the one person who showed him the value of a strong female was the miko. Even acting foolishly and dangerously she still stood up to him with her smart mouth and audacity. Not many males had the guts to take a shot at him, and no woman alive could break his armor and live. His belief on a woman's place had changed. The male was still the dominant gender, but it was no longer the job of the male to break a female's spirit.

The presence of the miko as an important and valued ally was going to cause his second general to challenge her. It was this knowing that caused him to not inform his second in command of the very name and status of his most anticipated ally. He knew without a doubt she could and would win a fight against him. Based on her skills this very day it was just further proof that she was not the untrained and weak child she once was. And this inevitable confrontation was just another test for her to prove herself. The miko was going to prove her worth to him and his other allies. She would have to prove her worth to his people and his staff. If she could not do such a simple task she was not worth the time nor the effort.

Thinking on the miko's general personality when traveling with his half-breed brother he smirked again before returning to his paperwork.

As he was on his second report he noticed the energy signature of his chief healer nearing his location. He waited until Yoshito moved to the door before quickly inviting him into his workspace.

Yoshito entered with a little hesitance Sesshomaru noticed with his keen eyes. He fidgeted under his cold stare after he greeted his lord and gave his expected bow.

"You, you called for me, My Lord?" Yoshito stuttered out in fear. His fear permeated the air with its foul odor causing Sesshomaru's senses to curl.

"Report." he commanded.

"My, My Lord, the wound, wounded are being treated. But, but some of the herbs I need no longer grow in the, the area. I cannot find them. And the people, the people need proper food and, and water, My Lord." Yoshito was so fearful of his report that he could not finish a single sentence without stuttering.

"You are dismissed." Sesshomaru said in the frostiest voice possible. He was not pleased with the healers' incompetence. This pathetic demon before him was more than worthless; and his permeating foul stench was starting to overwhelm his highly sensitive nostrils.

Yoshito swiftly bowed before all but running out of his presence.

Pathetic.

If he had the means he would have killed the now worthless healer months ago.

"HA, I got it! Is it my eyes?" Kagome jumped up and down next to Goro.

"Yes," Goro grumbled.

"YES! I won that round. Now, my turn. Humm…" Kagome hummed out in concentration. She glanced around the road they traveled in contemplation. After a new moments she smiled in triumph.

"Ok, I spy with my little eye something tan and black."

"Your pack?"

"Nope, two more guesses!" Kagome giggled in obvious pleasure.

"The trees?"

"What trees? There's nothing left. Try again?"

Goro turned around to walk backwards. He looked around the area one more time before turning face forward.

"I do not know. What is tan and black?"

Kagome laughed. She knew he wasn't going to get it. "This silly. It's been there since lunch."

Kagome reached behind Goro to detach something from his back. She pushed a tan parchment with black ink into his face as she ran away.

Goro stopped a moment to read the black characters on the paper before running after the mischievous miko.

"Kagome!" As he ran to grab her the slip of parchment floated to the ground with reading 'Kick Me'.

The two travelers were within three hours of the Western Palace. Having camped late the previous night and continuing their journey before sunrise that morning they had made excellent. As they traveled they came across four more destroyed settlements along the way. Of the four only one was considered a small village, but she did not think that relevant. No remains were found and no life was evident in any of the sites. Only the remaining dirt, destroyed huts, and sense of evil remained.

She also found at one of the destroyed settlements evidence of claw marks in the dirt. It was as if someone was clawing at the dirt with his or her fingers as it was pulled toward something or someone. And based on the width of the dirt where the body was dragged, she could only estimate that it belonged to a child. Maybe someone in their very early teens at most, no bigger than Rin if she had to guess.

It was after this last site that Kagome had started a simple child's game of 'I Spy'. It distracted her mind enough for her to think on all the happy times she had played with the children in her home city. After seeing a thing like that she could not handle picturing Rin being in such a situation. She could not imagine the terror that went through the child's mind. So she started a game with Goro to distract herself. And it had worked for the most part.

Kagome ran around in circles trying to keep away from the kitsune's arm reach when a large spike in purity was blasted in the distance. Simultaneously, both human and demon froze in their tracks.

"Go!" Kagome shouted. Goro swooped her around his back as he raced forward going northeast.

"Goro, I don't sense any evil! I don't feel anything evil!" Kagome shouted over the wind.

GORO pushed his legs faster. They both knew that the presence of that much purification meant only one thing. A priestess was trying to purify a lot of demons or one really strong one. When Kagome said she sensed no demonic malice he knew what was happening. Goro was informed by Lord Hajime that this new enemy was only one of the problems. Monks and priestess's had been turning on all demons no matter how peaceful they were. Massive panic was running rampant around the territories. All demons, humans, and holy humans were turning against each other like ravenous dogs waiting for any sign of weakness. All of them suspecting each other of these attacks. None of them were thinking rationally. Lord Hajime's territory was the only one not affected yet. And his lord informed him why. The Lord of the Southern Lands knew what such hysteria would cause if not calmly told to rational minds. He wanted to put it off until the last moment to spare his people from the extra stress. If their people found out through numerous people with all of them having different versions of the non-truth then the south wouldn't need this new enemy to take out the Southern Lands. The residents would destroy before this thing even had the chance. The display at the town meeting, however, forced Lord Hajime's hand. He knew from speaking to his lord that the rumors were becoming harder and harder to quit; and he was days from telling his people the truth.

KAGOME felt him increase his speed. And even though it probably only took a few minutes to get there at that speed, for her it seemed like it took a lifetime. They quickly came upon the energy in question. The image would forever be burned in her mind.

They broke through a small cluster of trees surrounding a town on all sides. This was the first village either of them had seen still standing. Before them stood what once looked like a prosperous community of demons. She quickly took into accound the small number of demon energies versus the much larger number of nuts.

Several dozen demons stood facing a miko in traditional garb with a loaded arrow in her bow, drawn to shoot at any demons. Close to her was another fallen miko on the ground with claw marks in her chest, blood had already pooled around her body. Several ashes were around her body indicating she purified her attackers before she finally perished. The other miko was shouting at the remaining demons in front of her. Kagome noticed that the several of them were soldiers wearing the insignia for the Western Lands. These soldiers were defending this village from a duel miko attack.

"You did this! You don't deserve to live! This is all because of you!"

"We have done nothing. Please put down your weapon or I will be forced to kill you." The front soldier said. She took note that he was a white wolf demon. He appeared to be of a higher rank than the other soldiers behind him. Most of them looked at him for direction.

As Kagome slid down Goro's back the rogue miko shot her arrow. Her arm flung out on instinct.

"NO!" she shouted. She shot a ray of purification at the flying arrow. She had only done this once before. It was by accident at the time though. She had once been faced with a miko attacking a small demon child in the woods in her travels six years ago. She had managed to send enough energy to the arrow to alter its course.

However, that was not the case this time. In her panic, she might have sent a little more power than she had intended. Ok, a lot more power.

Instead moving the arrow out of its path, it exploded!

The miko and opposing fighters were blown back from the explosion. Goro moved in front of her for protection. It wasn't needed though since all of the energy was centered in between the two opposing sides.

"What did you do?" Goro asked as in astonishment.

"Oops," she whispered.

She rushed around her bodyguard and moved between them. The demons had already begun to rise to their feet as the miko sat up in a daze. She stared down the miko with her back to the demons.

"What do you think you are doing?" Kagome commanded. She now had a massive power around her body, radiating strength and control. Her voice sounded cold and defensive.

"What have you done? You're protecting them? You are no better than these monsters!" The miko shouted as she stood up.

"I don't know what you think is going on here, but these people are innocent of the tragedies taking place here. You have no proof for this unwarranted attack. I command you to stand down!" Kagome's voice only got colder as she continued to speak.

"They have slaughtered entire villages. They are demons! That is proof enough." The miko reached for her fallen bow laying a few feet from her.

"Stand down! I order you!" Kagome's energy flashed out toward the miko in anger. "You will not kill innocent people!"

She paused in her attempt for the bow. She finally took notice of the defending miko in front of her in awe. She slowly shook her head in denial.

"You would defend these monsters over your own kind? You of all miko's? You are no miko. May you burn, may you all burn!" She snatched the bow up then ran into the opposite surrounding trees, curving toward the east.

"On who's authority do you disturb the law of the western lands?" A voice asked behind her.

Kagome slowly turned around. She looked sheepishly at the high ranking demon standing before her.

"Who…me?" She asked slowly. "Oh, sorry I'm Kagome. I hope you don't mind being saved by a girl?"

He scowled at her. His eyes narrowed in distaste.

"Ok, I see you didn't like that. Wait! I can fix this. Hold on a second." She turned to face the direction the crazed miko had retreated.

"Hey, come back here! I wasn't supposed to do that apparently! Hey, he wanted to make you stand down you his own!"

No answer was heard.

"Yeah, sorry. I don't think she's coming back." Kagome apologized to the demon as she turned around.

"Who do you think," he started before Goro interrupted.

"We are in route to meeting Lord Sesshomaru at the Western Palace. I am Second General Goro of the Southern Lands. This is my traveling companion, Kagome. We have been requested by Lord Sesshomaru to his palace on this very day."

"Yes, we should be getting back to that. Don't want to keep Fluffy waiting now would we, Goro. Well, it was nice meeting you," She stopped in contemplation. "You know I don't actually know your name."

"I am Satoshi, Third General to Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands."

"Oh, well it has been a pleasure meeting you Satoshi. But we must really be going now. Good-bye!" Kagome walked over to Goro to continue traveling.

"We will accompany you. I would like to know if you are truly guests of My Lord." Satoshi commanded.

"Great! More people to play with." Kagome bounced up and down in excitement.

Goro, having grown accustom to Kagome's unusual antics over the years, just shook his head at the odd look the third general was shooting him. "It's just better to go with it, General Satoshi. It is much easier."

Kagome led the way to the Western Citadel with a new burst of energy.

THE sun was starting to set just as they were within minutes of the palace. Kagome had, by this point, played two pranks on two soldiers involving dirt and a clever use of her throwing arm. When Satoshi looked at her in accusation she would giggle and point at another person.

As the now larger group got closer to the palace Kagome took note of the decimated ecosystem before her. She had been here before and to see it like this with no signs of life was crushing.

She had also felt the nagging sense of urgency as she got closer and closer to the palace. It was as if something was screaming at her for help. She had unconsciously picked up her pace as she grew closer. When Satoshi started to tell Goro of the protocols in place for entrance into the citadel she took no notice of his words. Her body and mind were screaming at her at this point.

So much pain! The earth was in so much pain.

They came upon the gates in silence. A guard stood on the wall asking who requested entrance into the gates of the Western Palace. She began to shake and shiver, nausea flooding her stomach.

"Kagome?" Goro asked in question. She hadn't stopped talking since they were joined by the third general's platoon. She looked pure white with her breaths coming in harsh gasps.

"Goro, get away from me." She whispered, desperation in her voice.

Goro stared at her face before moving away. In the back of her mind she heard him command the others to back away from her into the gate entrance.

"Stay away from me." she whispered. Her eyes were closed in pain.

Her legs gave out under her. She fell to her knees with her hands out to support her weight. She flung her hair back as her eyes flashed open radiating pure pink from them. Her purification powers spiked, but instead of going to turn her new allies into ash, they moved into the ground. They flowed like a river into the dry and cracking dirt below her hands. The ground started to shake as she poured more power into the screaming earth.

All she could think about was taking away the pain. There was so much pain! It had to end, it had to be healed. It had to stop now! More power poured out of her. She slightly heard her name being shouted in the far away distance.

After what felt like years the pain started to ebb. It was going away! She thought she should stop soon. Yes, she should stop now. The pain was gone. Her powers stopped. Her hair fell back down and her hands gave out. Black spots appeared in her vision before she saw no more and felt no more.

The Shikon Miko fell unconscious on a field of grass overlooking an oasis of trees, flowers, and a river.

SESSHOMARU raced to the fallen miko after she collapsed. He moved ahead of his third general, whom stood staring in astonishment, to lightly pick her up in his arms.

"Ichiro," he commanded.

"My Lord?" Ichiro stepped forward hesitantly. Almost the entire palace stood facing the Western Lord and the mysterious miko in awe. Absolute silence was heard.

"Prepare the healers. Dismissed."

The crowd quickly dispersed. Many of the servants and guests scattered gossiping among themselves as they wondered upon the identity of this astonishing miko.

He easily walked toward the healer's ward with the passed out miko in his arms. His first general already there telling them of his immediate arrive with the patient in question. He took note of the demon following him, but said nothing.

The South's Second General was not his concern.

KAGOME groggily woke up from her unintentional slumber, gently opening her eyes to stare at the white room above. She felt the soft cloth covered feathers under her back and the light blanket on top of her fully clothed body. Her neck was cramped from sleeping with no pillow; and her muscles screamed at her in agony.

She groaned a little as she twisted around to lay on her side. Glancing around all she saw was distant blurs that, as she continued to focus, slowly became distinctive shapes and colors.

Her eyes finally cleared. She already knew she was in some type of hospital ward, but now she had the proof. Surrounding her were small white covered cots all in several rows and columns. More than half of them were occupied with wounded demons. Scanning the room she found no healer and all seemed to be still. The other patients, besides herself obviously, were all still in a slumber. She pushed herself up to swing her legs to rest on the floor. She didn't have time to sit in bed all day. A hot spring was calling her name like a siren. A siren she had no problem answering in fact. Sesshomaru himself could not stop her from getting into a hot steaming pool of pure bliss. God bless any creature who tried. She could soak all day!

Kagome gently stood on her feet. The room spun for a few seconds before righting itself. Okay, so food might have to be put on her list of things to do. And now that she thought about it, drinking water would also have to be on the list as well. Her throat was very dry and scratchy.

Making her way to what seemed like the entrance/exit she was stopped in her tracks by a groaning sound coming from behind her. She slowly turned around to look for the source of the sound.

"Is someone there?" a pained voice whispered.

"Yes, I'm here." Kagome whispered back. She located the demon and moved toward him. She weaved past two aisles and went back two cots before kneeling beside the man.

"Are you a healer?"

"Yes, what can I help you with?"

"Can you stop the pain?" The demon strangled out. He gently rubbed his shoulder. He looked up at her with blurred eyes. She didn't think he was really looking at her so much as looking through her at this particular moment.

"Okay, let me take a look." Kagome brushed away his hand. She pulled back the bandage with a wince as it pulled on dried blood. She gapped at the wound when it was finally revealed. On the edge of the upper arm there was a slice cutting into his arm. Blood and a yellowish, greenish putrid substance were coated around the wound. She quickly covered her nose at the foul stench coming from his infected wound.

"How did you get this?" she asked. She could guess that it came from a poisoned arrow that had nicked him as it passed by.

"Archer shot me in a village dispute my company was trying to solve."

"Okay, let me get my supplies and I will fix this. I'll be right back."

He nodded. She stumbled to her feet as she moved to her original cot. She could only hope that her bag was still with her when she was placed here. Looking around her bed she found her bag resting slightly to the side. Picking it up she moved slowly back to the wounded soldier. She knelt down again beside him. His eyes were closed in exhaustion and his breathing was fast and uneven.

"My name is Kagome. What's yours'?"

"Yuuta."

"It is nice to meet you, Yuuta. I am going to put a medicine on her wound. It is going to stink a great deal, but it will start to take care of the pain and start to heal the wound. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lady Kagome."

She pulled a small jar out of her pack and opened the top. "None of this Lady stuff okay. I call you Yuuta and you can just call me Kagome, okay?"

"That seems acceptable, Kagome."

"Good, now prepare yourself. It is going to hurt a great deal before it starts to feel better."

"Just do it."

She nodded in acceptance. She could only imagine how much pain a wound like that was causing with the amount of infection he had acquired. A healer should have been able to cure something as simple as this poison. This was a relatively basic poison that could easily be treated immediately after contracting. However, as evident before her, if this type of poison was allowed to continue untreated it could cause sepsis and eventual death. Looking at the state of the demon before her she would guess that he had only a week left to live if left untreated. His fever was high, vision blurred, shaking uncontrollably, and his breathing was very fast and harsh. He must have had it for a while before ending up in this ward. Demons by nature could generally overcome things of this nature. Some other poisons, like Sesshomaru's for instance, could not be treated. His acid poison could melt any demon on the spot.

She placed the liquid directly on his wound. He cried out then clamped his teeth together.

"I know. I know. It will go away in a few seconds. I'm going to make it feel better." Kagome whispered in sympathy.

She placed the jar down and placed her hand on his forehead.

"Shh, it's going to be okay. I promise." she soothed. Bringing a little healing power to her palms she gently caressed him back to sleep. She eased his pain and put him a deep sleep to give his body time to heal. Her vision blurred again. The room spun on its axis.

No! She had to clean the wound before she could rest. She blindly found a swab in her pack. She fumbled around trying to find a cleaning agent when she saw no more for the second time.

GLOSSARY:

Hajime – Lord the Southern Lands, hawk demon

Kumiko – Lady of the Southern Lands, hawk demon

Junichi – first general to the Southern Lands, older brother to Goro, first son born, kitsune demon

Goro – second general to the Southern Lands, younger brother to Junichi - fifth son born, kitsune demon

Ichiro – first general of the Western Lands, black dog demon

Masahiko – second general to the Western Lands, brown bear demon

Satoshi – third general to the Western Lands, white wolf demon

Yoshito – chief healer at the Western Palace

Yuuta – primary soldier who takes direct orders from the generals/ also helps train the other soldiers

Kenshin – head servant at the Western Palace


	4. Down Boy!

Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews. I love them. I just wanted to let everyone know why I haven't updated in a while. I packed up and moved across the country! BTW: moving across country is a pain in the butt. I started a new job about a month ago and I just got settled. Got to love the northern states! The weather here is so much better than in the south. Anyways, thank you for the patience.

This chapter is to say thank you for all of the continued support. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

CHAPTER 4: DOWN BOY!

DID you ever have a moment in your life where you woke up and didn't know where you were? Or you might have a moment in life where you ask yourself 'how did I get here'? For most normal people you don't have to ask yourself these types of questions very often. In fact, if you want to put a fine point on it most normal people don't ask themselves these questions at all. Well, normal people who don't travel in time or don't fight demons on a regular basis. Too bad Kagome wasn't like most normal people.

Kagome woke up in a far different place than when she had passed out. Her eyes snapped open, and her body jerked up, her eyes flying every which direction, trying to analyze her surroundings. She quickly discovered that this was not the room she remembered passing out in. She needed to check on her patient, but she was no longer in the hospital ward. She had no idea where she was or how she got there. Or who put her here as a matter of fact!

Glancing around the room she noticed the high quality sheets pooled at her waist, the fur rugs around the room, and expensive raised bed she rested on. On a closer look at the room she also noticed a chest at the end of her bed and three doors leading to who knows where. To her right she saw a medium sized window with a soft light flooding barely caressing through the room. In a small corner of the room with the window she saw a large mound of pillows on the floor. Several scrolls were lying nearby. Based on the light coming in from the cloth covered window above it was either very early in the morning or just about to become dark.

"I could get use to this." she whispered after her quick inspection. But her body ached in places that hadn't ached in a long time. She groaned a little as she stood up. Thankfully, the room decided to stay upright for her. Good room. Very good room.

Her stomach growled at her, and her throat felt like it was on fire. Okay, she was in the Western Palace, home of Lord Fluffy himself. She was in a very fancy room unlike the medical ward she was in before. That was a step up in her book. But she did have to check on her patient though. She had to make sure that someone had finished cleaning and wrapping his wound. Because without the proper care the medicine she placed in it would do no good. He would just become worse once more and more than likely die this time.

She had to think rationally though. Whoever had moved her to this room obviously found her next to the wounded soldier. Someone had undoubtedly finished what she had started. So she could put checking on him on the backburner until more pressing matters were handled first.

She needed a bath to clean herself off. Cleanliness was next to godliness in her book. Taking a small amount of her top into her hand she took a tentative sniff.

Ugh! Yes, a bath was most definitely in order. Then food and water were next priority on the list. Then she could check on her patient. Wait, no she had to find clothes also because she was not going to wear this just after getting clean. And maybe pull a prank if she had the time.

Oh, some many things to do and not enough time to do them.

She moved to one of the doors, opening the door with a tentative demeanor. She cracked her head in. Gasp! It was a washroom. She could see steaming water in a large tub-like container. It wasn't a hot spring or internal plumbing like in the future, but this was a set-up from what she was now used to. Yes, this would do nicely. She stepped back and shut the door. It was time to check out the other two doors. One of them was obviously meant for means of leaving, so she suspected the other door was a small closet of some kind. Opening the middle door in the room her theory was proven correct. She saw a small room just for clothes. She noticed all of the kimonos inside were of a higher quality and in various designs and colors. She skimmed through a few of them before picking out a dark green kimono with an accompanying black obi. It had black and silver intricate designs along the border to look like real vines weaving along the fabric. She did note as she picked this kimono out that several of them had the Western colors, Sesshomaru's colors. Huh, that said a lot.

Sesshomaru had her placed in this room. He knew the clothes in the closet since it looked like all of them were in her size. He had made sure she got a washroom and closet. Her sheets felt like silk; and her room was definitely not in the servant's quarters or in the guest's wing. At least, she didn't think Sesshomaru was the type to welcome many guests with this royal of a room. But this was food for thought. She had a bath calling her from one door over. It was like a siren to her ears.

'Come to me…' It seemed to whisper.

'Come to my warmth…'

'I can help you…'

She shook her head. Maybe she should add going to see a healer as well. You know since she was going to be in the infirmary later anyway. She was starting to think crazy. But the voice in her head said to go to the hot, soothing water. She intended to listen to it.

Just this once.

Okay, fine a few more times. Alright, alright she would never ignore the voices in her head that said to take a bath. To do such a thing would be like cutting off her own legs. So yeah, impossible to accomplish with sheer will alone. Don't judge.

One hour later, after exploring a fabulous washroom and many herbal products, Kagome came out of the room with clean clothes and a satisfied smile. She felt like a new woman. It was wonderful. Simply fantastic!

Slipping on some sandals from her new wardrobe she left out of the unopened door. It led its way into a corridor with a few other doors and not much natural light. At the end of the hallway she noticed a large double door made of solid wood. The doors had an intricate design shaped like a large dog demon. The craftsman whom created that piece of work was without a doubt a master.

She had such an urge to run her fingers along it's seemingly smooth design. It looked like not one sliver of wood was out of place, like the doors were built only the day before. Kagome sensed though that these door were very special. An energy source was radiating from that wood. It was like the wood had its own energy, as if it was an intelligent being.

She could not resist. She cautiously moved in front of it. Indeed it was emitting energy. It wasn't demonic in nature or spiritual either. The energy started to hum as she stepped up to the door. She had this sudden urge to touch the intricate designs. The desire was like nothing she had ever felt before.

Kagome looked behind her to make sure no one was in the hallway. Her senses didn't warn her of another presence, but it was always good to be cautious. Seeing nothing she turned back around before tentatively resting her hand on the left door. As soon as her palm connected with the door the energy spiked a dark blue color. It surrounded her in its embrace. She suddenly felt whole. Like she had gone through her entire life missing a piece of herself, but not even realizing she was missing something until that very moment. It felt wonderful. Her eyes closed in utter contentment. She never wanted to leave, she could stay here for the rest of her life with no complaint. All of her burdens disappeared from her mind: no world to save, no dead son, and no questions about the future. It was as if all of her doubts, questions, and obligations just simply became a whisper in the far reaches of her mind.

This feeling was like nothing else in the world.

"WHAT do you think you are doing in this wing, human?" a voice demanded in outrage.

She was pulled from her perfect world with no worries as her arm was jerked in a firm grip. Her eyes flashed open to glare at the brown bear demon snarling down at her.

"Let go," she commanded.

His hand tightened painfully. He tugged it up toward him forcing her to move closer to him. "You will answer me this second, you disgusting human. What are you doing in the Western Palace?"

"What is your name, please." Kagome spoke in a very quiet voice as her head moved to look at her arm.

"I am Masahiko, Second General to Lord Sesshomaru. Humans are not allowed in this wing! It is to the dungeons with you!"

"Well, Masahiko, I am sorry to say that you have no authority over me. Have a problem with that then talk to Sesshomaru. He placed me here." Kagome jerked her arm out of his drip and stepped several feet back.

Masahiko jacked his arm up in an obvious move to hit her across the face, but she raised her arm up in defense. The second general flew back with a grunt and slammed into the corridor wall behind him. He slid to the floor dazed. She lowered her hand as a slight pink aura around her arm disappeared.

"Touch me again and I will not hesitate to do more damage. Next time learn never to piss off a miko. Idiot!" Kagome growled at him before swiftly walking away. "I will be talking to Sesshomaru about you!" she warned as she passed her door and proceeded out of the wing.

Masahiko did not follow. The Shikon Miko did not know if this was due to pain, shock, or both. Hell, she didn't kill him so he must have tried to get around her to find Sesshomaru. That is what she would have done if she were in his position. If she had come across a miko in this place that could kill the second general then if in his shoes she would alert the Lord immediately. She couldn't bring herself to care at this point though. That demon had ruined her moment. She was so content and happy. And that stupid demon had to interrupt. The idiot didn't even hesitate to take in consideration who she could be. She wasn't hiding her power. To actually raise a hand to her without taking into consideration this fact? If that had been a spell he could have killed himself by touching it or he could have met another miko who isn't as understanding as she is. He must have felt her miko powers surely. But he still treated her like the scum he would scrape off the bottom of his boot. And this was all due, she suspected, because she was human. That was not to be tolerated. If Sesshomaru didn't do anything about that one she would do something about him. And if she had her way, Masahiko would quickly find himself wishing he was never born.

KAGOME wondered the corridor. She found no other servants or guards in this portion of the palace which she found weird. Stopping in the wing she noticed three ways she could go. She could go straight which seemed to lead toward another door at the end of the hall. She didn't sense anything important in that particular room besides residual energy from Sesshomaru. If she had to gander a guess that door led to his office. On the other hand she could take a right. Taking a right looked like it could be the way into the main part of the citadel, but she noticed another passage. A few paces back on the left she keenly discovered a secret door that looked just like the wall. It was a trick door. But the real question was where did it go to?

That was the million dollar question wasn't it? She could either go toward the obvious exit or go exploring. But before she could decide the direction she felt the steady set of feet coming up a flight of stairs toward her location. Curving around a wall a very proper looking servant came into view. He was tall, thin, and dressed well for his station. While Kagome did not believe in slavery, she understood that servants were a necessary evil. She just demanded that if you had them that you treated them with the respect and dignity that they deserved. All beings working for someone else should have days off and pay. Based on just looking at this particular servant she could tell that he was well taken care of at one time. She noticed the slightly sunken eye sockets and very prominent cheek bones. These indicators did not seem like it was a daily occurrence. The healer in her could tell he was not getting the proper nutrition. This was also not surprising considering the amount of dead land Kagome and Goro saw as they made their way to the Western Palace. The servant was still dressed properly with an air about him leading her to believe he was the head servant.

"Lady Miko, my name is Kenshin. I am the head servant at the Western Palace. Breakfast will be served shortly. If you would be so kind as to follow me?"

"Thank you! I would very much appreciate it. But please don't call me that. Kagome will do just fine."

Kenshin bowed. "As you wish, Lady Kagome."

"Oh, no," Kagome said with her arms raised up in defense. "Just Kagome, no title. I am just simply Kagome."

"It would be greatly disrespectful to call you as such Lady Kagome. My Lord requires all guests to be given respect. You, Lady Kagome, above all others."

She looked at him in confusion, but the look quickly changed to suspicion. "Okay, who do you work for?"

"My Lady?" came Kenshin's bewildered response.

"Sesshomaru would not require you to show me of all humans respect. And especially not more than all others. So my question to you is who are you working for?"

"My Lady is the most valuable ally of this land. To give you anything less than the best would mean great dishonor and punishment."

"Really, and how do you know that? Second general whats-his-face didn't seem to know who I was."

"Lady Kagome, if you will forgive me, have you met General Masahiko?"

"Yes, him! He tried to take me to the dungeon, and when I wouldn't go he tried to hit me."

"My deepest apologies, My Lady. I will inform My Lord."

"Don't bother. I'll tell him myself. Now, why don't you tell me how you know about me?"

"My Lady, you have been placed in the western wing." He said simply as if that explained all.

And it truly did. She stiffened in shock, her eyes went wide, and her face went a shade whiter. To be placed in the family wing of the ruling lord was like getting your hands on the Holy Grail. It meant you were the most significant being in the palace besides the Lord and Lady themselves. Kagome could never remember one single instance in which the southern family allowed one of non-blood in the family wing. It was unheard of. All important guests, including fellow Lords and Ladies, were placed separately. No ally was ever trusted enough to be placed in such a vulnerable position. No ruling lord would want a possible assassin to have full access to himself, his mate, or his pups. Especially if only an heir had been produced. Kagome, who was trusted to take watch over the Southern children, was never allowed access into the southern wing.

Slowly nodding her head she followed Kenshin down the stairs toward breakfast. She did not notice the passing of corridors or the moving of servants to get out of their way. She was still stuck in her head. This meant something, she could feel it, but she just didn't know what.

"My Lady?" Kenshin inquired.

She focused her eyes on him once again only to realize he was bowing to her and holding a door open for her.

"It's Kagome. Thank you." she said as she stepped into the room.

WHEN Kagome walked into the room she stopped in amazement. It was spectacular. The entire room was huge overall with a massively high ceiling. Sesshomaru could easily stand in this room in his true form that's for sure. A large low table dominated the center of the room with hundreds of cushions surrounding. She could not believe the amount of spaces the table seemed to hold. Around the room she noticed several different doors around the room. Most of them were primarily on the other side of the room. This was more than likely where the servants came with the meals from the kitchen.

On the far wall, behind the head of the table, was a large painted scene of a crescent moon – the exact image on Sesshomaru's forehead – coupled with a transformed dog demon. The image took up the whole wall behind where Sesshomaru stood. She vaguely wondered how many guests were intimidated by this image. Lining the walls were several little stations with various kitchen items on them. Looking at a few she noticed cups for sake, chopsticks, cups, plates, and little bowls.

A slight cough interrupted her musings before she could wander around the room in curiosity. Her eyes were drawn to Goro now standing beside her.

"Oh, Goro, how are you doing?"

"I should be asking you that question, Kagome. You have spent the last several days unconscious."

"I'm just fine. But would you tell me what I did that drained me so much."

Goro gave her a troubled look. "You do not remember?"

"No, I just remember a lot of pain, and then I woke up the hospital wing. Oh, how was that soldier I healed? Do you know if a healer saw to his dressing?"

"Kagome, you amaze me." He shook his head in astonishment. "Yuuta, is doing very well. He is already back to training the soldiers. And as for what you did, I will just have to show you for your own eyes."

She gave him a look. "Wha-"

Kagome was interrupted as a servant came out of a door leading to the kitchen. He was very quiet and stealthy. He padded across the floor with little sound to rest a platter of cheese, bread, and a small amount of fruit. He bowed deeply to them without raising his eyes to look upon them.

"My Lady, is there anything else we can do for you?"

She shook her head before telling him no when she noticed he refused to look at her.

"Very good, My Lady." He retreated from the room still slightly bowing to them as fast as possible without running.

"Did you just see that?" Kagome asked bewildered. He seemed terrified of her.

"Yes, you have caused a bit of talk among the palace. I would not be surprised if you will find anyone in this place that will not worship at your feet."

Goro chuckled at the sour look she sent his way. She did not know what she did that caused her to be 'worshiped'.

"What the hell happened?"

Goro made his way to the table and grabbed a small loaf of bread. He broke it in half and placed the other half back on the platter. He settled on a pillow as she moved to rest next to him, grabbing the other half of the loaf when she was seated. Kagome continued to give him a 'what-the-hell' look.

"I will show you after breakfast. It can only be seen to be believed."

Kagome glared at him with a huff. "Then you can tell me where Sesshomaru is?"

"From what I have heard from General Ichiro, Lord Sesshomaru left late last night to deal with an uprising."

"Then we had better go help him." Kagome said as she began to stand up. Goro held up a hand to press her back down.

"General Ichiro told me Lord Sesshomaru wished you to stay here to recover. After all, that was quite a display of power you showed in front of the entire palace."

"Alright that's it." Kagome jumped to her feet and rushed to the door. Goro quickly caught up to her, pulling on her arm before she could make her way out the dining hall door.

"Hold on one moment. You need to finish eating before you do anything else."

"But," she began before Goro raised his voice above her protests.

"This is not up for discussion, Kagome. You need to eat to gain back your strength. You could have seriously harmed yourself if you had sacrificed to much power without recovery. Now sit back down and finish your meal."

She looked at him startled. She had never seen Goro like this. He always seemed to have a sense of humor and ease around her. Looking into his eyes now she noticed what she hadn't before. He had a haunted look in his eyes, something that wasn't there before. He was scared. He was truly scared about the war, her safety, or maybe both. She slowly nodded her head to him and let him lead her back to her seat. She knew what he was thinking. Any being with spiritual or demonic power could use up all of their reserves of energy until only the life force was left. And if that person did not stop the flow of power then their very life would be drained out of them until eventually they killed themselves. Some had stopped before all power was gone, but even then most did not recover from such an undertaking. The body simply could not survive in most cases. Very few, Kagome had heard, ever survived such an experience. She had never been in such a situation before, but based on Goro's expression he was worried that she would eventually become one of the people who didn't survive.

HE pushed the platter closer to her for her to finish what remained. As a demon he did not require as much food as a human. She needed this food more than most to help build back up her power supply. She quickly began to eat the food when he gave the nod for her to eat the rest. She seemed ravenous as she attacked the cheese and bread. She paused to frown at the lackluster fruits before eating them last.

It was good that she was allowed some fruit from the kitchen in these more than troubling times as fruit, meat, grain, and basically everything – including water – was a commodity here. He had spoken to several soldiers – one of them being the very soldier she saved – about the situation here. It was an eye opener to be sure. He now knew what the death toll was and the number just began to grow higher each day. Reports were coming in of the starvation, wounded, and helpless demons and humans around the territories. The numbers were staggering! The death toll was in the thousands and only grew each passing day.

When he had felt the power of a miko in the palace he had immediately rushed to Kagome's location. He was one of the first to get to her because his quarters were not far from her location at the time. When he saw her lying slumped over the sleeping soldier his heart had skipped a beat. He thought for just a few moments that she was no longer in this world. Only the slight fluttering of her heart beat stopped him from losing all control.

And he would have lost control. The single thought of her no longer gracing this world with her illumination was unthinkable. It wasn't allowed. Kagome was a bright light in a now dark and cold world. Kagome did not know this yet, but she was thought of as a savior already. Her display several days previously had lit a hope in the people of this sanctuary like a raging fire that would not be easily extinguished. When some believed her to be beyond this world many had mourned before being told of her continued life. Several servants had argued over whom would take her under their care before the head healer, Yoshito, had stepped in. When he put her back in her cot in the hospital wing and left her there with no observation, Sesshomaru had nearly decapitated him when he went into the ward. Lord Sesshomaru moved her to another room that he was not allowed to follow. He was not informed of her location much to his displeasure. When he had asked of her placement so he could watch her Lord Sesshomaru had given him a look that dared him to ask again upon the penalty of death. His expression had not changed, but Goro knew not to question him a second time if he intended to remain in the palace.

Yes, indeed, Kagome had a following. It would not surprise him if the cloth that she dried herself with before coming here was fought over among the staff. She was now a savior for the cause. Demons and humans alike now looked to her for salvation.

"Goro? Anyone in there? Not that there was much to begin with." Kagome waved her hand in front of his face to get his attention.

"My apologies, Kagome. I was just thinking of what trouble my sibling is getting into without me to help him hide his tracks."

"Oh, I'm sure he is doing just fine on his own. In fact, I'm sure Kumiko and Hajime are happy that he is the only one pulling pranks when on off duty." she laughed.

"Well, you know he will never be as good as me!"

"You wish! Everyone knows I am the master!"

"Of course you are," Goro said in the most sarcastic tone possible.

GORO led the way out of the main entrance into the palace. He paused at the entrance for Kagome to really see out for herself. The sun was slowly moving up the sky, beating upon them with it's warmth.

"Wow," she whispered. It was so large. She could see several acres on all sides of her from this point. Directly ahead of her was a massive wall closing the entire palace in its walls. A huge, heavy gate allowed entrance and exit from Sesshomaru's home. All around her she noticed extremely long buildings in rows to her left and right. Dozens of soldiers and servants wandered the grounds going about their every daily lives. She heard clashing shields, swords, and spears coming from her left. She would imagine that the training grounds were somewhere around that direction. She also guessed that most of the buildings to her right were undoubtedly for refugees. She could see with her human eyes a large amount of green outside the gate which was very peculiar considering the barren ground in front of her.

"It is quite impressive, is it not, My Lady?" a voice asked from a distance.

Kagome looked to her left to see her sick patient walking up to her. She was so distracted by the massive compound that she didn't notice him approaching.

"Oh, hello! Yes, it is. How are you feeling?" Kagome asked.

"I am feeling better than ever, My Lady. I wanted to extend my deepest gratitude."

Goro shook his head from behind her with a look of exasperation. Well, he had done it now.

Wait for it…

"Now you see here, I have had it up to here!" Kagome jerked her hand up above her head to show her point. "I will not be called by 'My Lady' by you! I helped you as a healer and concerned human being. So you can stop this whole 'My Lady' crap. Do you understand me?"

Yuuta looked stunned. "Uh?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before looking sheepishly at Goro. He had no idea what to do.

"Now, Kagome, no one here knows how you would like to be addressed. Cut the guy some slack."

Kagome looked sheepishly at Yuuta. "Sorry, about that. I just really like those types of titles. 'Lady Miko', 'Miko', 'My Lady', 'Shikon Miko'. They all just make me want to hit something. Everyone can just call me 'Kagome'. That is all that I want."

Yuuta gapped at her. "You're the Shikon Miko?"

"Nope, you must be imagining things. So what is it that you do here, Yuuta?"

After a shake of the head from Goro and the look of mischievousness on her face Yuuta decided to let it go. This is the healer who healed him from certain death. He owed her his life.

"I work directly under the three generals. I also help train the soldiers." You could hear the pride in Yuuta's voice.

"Wow, congratulations! That is a very important accomplishment." And it was. Kagome knew that he was what would be considered a Colonel in modern times. Well, she hoped that was right. She was never very good at that whole American military anyway. Well, she just knew that he was one step away from becoming a General to the Western Lands. Although, considering all of the generals were demons, he could be waiting for centuries before becoming a full general.

"Thank you, Kagome."

"Kagome, did you want to see what you did?" Goro asked.

"Oh, yes, would you like to join us, Yuuta?" Kagome asked. "Goro was just going to show me whatever it is that I did."

"No thank you, Kagome. I have to get back to the men."

"Okay. See you later."

He bowed to her before leaving.

"I don't like bowing either!" Kagome shouted to his retreating form.

Yuuta raised an arm in acknowledgement as she turned back to her kitsune friend.

"So, what is this thing that I did?"

"Follow me, My Lady." He bowed to her with an outstretched arm.

She smacked him in the arm. He laughed it off.

AFTER meeting some of the wall patrol, Goro lead her out of the gate just a few steps on the other side. What was a green spread before she now saw what lay beyond.

"I did all of this?" she asked in astonishment.

"Yep," Goro replied.

"Wow!" She was astonished. She remembered a lot of pain and then blackness before waking up in the hospital wing. She just didn't have words. She had no idea how to respond or how to explain what she saw before. She should not have been able to do this type of thing.

In front of her was what can only be considered a miracle by anyone normal standards. In place of rocky and barren lands was not a massive field of grass with a wide variety of flowers. She saw a few trees spaced out before coming across a large cluster of them in one particular area a few hundred yards away. She moved to get a better look with Goro following silently behind.

In between two large trunks with far reaching limbs she saw an entrance into an oasis. A small waterfall – fifty feet if Kagome could take a guess without actually measuring – took the show. Surrounding it on three sides there was a very wide pool of water.

She knelt down to cup some water in her hand. She looked at the cold water in her palm before fluttering her fingers so it would fall back into the pool. The water was very cold. She stood again to stare at the waterfall.

"Where is the water coming from? I mean, I'm good, but I can't create something like this out of thin air." she asked.

"The water comes from farther ahead in the ground behind the waterfall. According to Satoshi, you remember him, the third general," Goro paused for her nod. "Yeah, anyway, according to him there was once a waterfall here before all of this was destroyed. The water dried up first before a battle destroyed everything else when this all started."

"What did Sesshomaru say about it?" Kagome asked.

He gave her a 'are you frickin' kidding me?'

"Well, it was only a question. No need to get your tail in a tizzy." She raised her hands in defense with a laugh.

"Not everyone can call him what you do and still live."

"That's because I can get away with calling him Fluffy." She laughed as she ran back in the direction of the palace. She passed by him quickly with a tap on his arm. "Tag you're it."

KAGOME ran into the compound surrounding the palace as the patrol on the wall quickly let her in. Goro was leisurely running behind her. She could tell that he had no intention of catching her. "Pick it up slow poke! Or I'm going to tell Lord Fluffykins–"

She didn't get a chance finish her threat before she suddenly dropped to the ground in a roll. A large bear claw swiped thru the air where her head once was.

"General Masahiko!" Goro yelled in outrage.

Kagome rolled to her feet in once solid motion as if she dodged claws trying to behead her every day. "Oh, you. Don't you have any manners? Earlier this morning and now. Don't you have to forage for some honey or something?"

"You have met him before?" Goro asked.

"No pathetic will call the great Lord Sesshomaru by such a disgraceful name! I, General Masahiko, hereby sentence you to death for your disrespect!"

Several spectators – brought toward the scene no doubt – gasped in shock. Many moved to make a large semi-circle around Goro, Kagome, and Masahiko.

"General, please!"

"General Masahiko, please reconsider your decision."

Goro charged forward in front of Kagome to hide her behind him. "You have no authority! General Ichiro is in charge while Lord Sesshomaru is out of the palace."

"I have all the proof I need. She attacked me this morning and she now disrespects Lord Sesshomaru. I need no permission."

"You will not touch the Shikon Miko!" a voice roared. "Lady Kagome is to be treated with the same respect as Lord Sesshomaru from here on out."

The general that accompanied Sesshomaru to the Southern Lands finally showed up on the scene. The growing crowd of servants, refugees, and soldiers parted like the red sea for him to join them.

"General Ichiro, it is nice to see you this fine morning." Goro said with a bow.

"Ichiro, you cannot possibly tell me that this pathetic human is the Shikon Miko? It is of nothing important. No power to speak of."

Kagome looked on as Ichiro and Masahiko argued back and forth. She still stood behind Goro. Ichiro was calmly ordering the second general to stand down. She was sure that Sesshomaru would be informed of his actions when he arrived. But the question was when Sesshomaru was going to be back. From the heated debate going on she would not put it past Masahiko to attacked her later with no witnesses.

"This whore has no right to be here!"

That broke her thoughts. What did he just call her?

Oh, no he didn't!

He did not just call her a…

That was the last straw. She moved closer to Goro's back as he shook in outrage. She could tell that he was yelling in outrage, but didn't pay any attention to the conversation anymore. She was beyond caring at this point. It was time for this bear demon to learn a lesson Kagome style.

She brought her hands up in front of her and chanted. After a few seconds her hands began to glow a pink hue. Goro stepped aside when he felt the energy so close to him.

More voices were yelled from all directions.

From a distance away dozens of beads shot through the air going toward Masahiko. They materialized into a beaded necklace around his neck before settling innocently on his shoulders.

"What have you done to me you whore?"

"I have placed a subjugation collar around your neck. The only question now is what word I will use to activate the beads."

Masahiko rushed forward to kill her. Goro moved in front of her again. It was hardly needed though.

"Down boy!" Kagome shouted.

And down Masahiko went. He slammed into the ground much like Inuyasha did when he was commanded to 'sit'.

"Well, Masahiko, this is your punishment for pissing me off. I am here at the request of Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands. I am not here to be a slave to your every bidding. Call me one more name like before and I can personally guarantee that not even Sesshomaru will be able to save you."

Masahiko screamed in outrage.

"Down!"

He crashed into the ground again with the ground under him looking more like a crater.

"Now, since you refuse to shut up I will inform you of this little necklace. You cannot take it off. No one can break the spell and no one can tamper with it either. I alone control this subjugation necklace. So if for whatever reason you piss me off I will be using it again and again until the lesson has stuck."

"Why you pathetic hum-"

"Down, down, down."

"You will address me as Kagome from here on out. I will only respond to my name from now on. If you decide to call me anything else I will take action. If you degrade anyone else I will also take action. Be prepared General Masahiko. I will correct your view of humans and woman before this war is over. Do you have any questions for me?"

Cursing and derogatory names were only heard.

"Down!" Kagome shouted. "Down, down, down!"

Masahiko was no longer visible. And no sound was heard from his crater.

"Well, that was fun. Who's ready for lunch?" Kagome had steadily moved around Goro in her rage to stand over Masahiko's prone form in the ground.

She turned around to a stunned crowd.

"What? Oh, oops. Now about that lunch?"


End file.
